Two-dimensional and three-dimensional discrete constrained lenses with minimized optical aberrations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12463350-B2
Application number	US-202118263521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2021
Priority date	Jan 29, 2021
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A beamforming network includes a three-dimensional discrete lens with front and back apertures, each comprising a plurality of discrete elements. Each discrete element of the back aperture is homologous to a respective discrete element of the front aperture. The discrete lens further comprises a plurality of transmission lines connecting respective pairs of homologous discrete elements. The beamforming network can further include a feed array that illuminates the back aperture when the lens is working in transmission, and/or receives signals from the back aperture, when the lens is working in reception. A ratio of a size of the back aperture and a size of the front aperture defines a zooming factor whose value is different from unity, so that angles of emergence of beams of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the front aperture are either tilted towards or away from a center axis compared to angles of incidence on the back aperture.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A beamforming network, comprising:
a three-dimensional discrete lens with a front aperture and a back aperture, each comprising a plurality of discrete elements; and a propagation part in which electromagnetic radiation can propagate and illuminate the back aperture of the discrete lens; wherein:
each discrete element of the back aperture is homologous to a respective discrete element of the front aperture;
the discrete lens further comprises a plurality of transmission lines connecting respective pairs of homologous discrete elements of the front aperture and the back aperture;
a ratio of a size of the back aperture and a size of the front aperture defines a zooming factor that determines a relationship between an angle of incidence of electromagnetic radiation incident on the back aperture and an angle of emergence of a beam of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the front aperture in reaction to the electromagnetic radiation incident on the back aperture;
the value of the zooming factor is different from unity, so that angles of emergence of beams from the front aperture are either tilted towards a center axis of the discrete lens or tilted away from the center axis, compared to angles of incidence of corresponding beams on the back aperture;
the front aperture is shaped as a flat surface;
the back aperture is shaped as a portion of a sphere;
the lengths of the plurality of transmission lines are chosen to be equal;
for each pair of homologous discrete elements, a ratio between radial excursions of the respective homologous discrete elements of the back aperture and the front aperture in the pair from the center axis of the discrete lens is equal to the zooming factor; and
the discrete lens has one focal point located in the propagation part on a center of the sphere.

2 . The beamforming network according to claim 1 , wherein:
the size of the back aperture is smaller than the size of the front aperture, so that beams emitted by the front aperture have a reduced field of view compared to a range of angles of incidence of electromagnetic radiation incident on the back aperture; or the size of the back aperture is larger than the size of the front aperture, so that beams emitted by the front aperture have an increased field of view compared to a range of angles of incidence of electromagnetic radiation incident on the back aperture.

3 . A beamforming network, comprising:
a three-dimensional discrete lens with a front aperture and a back aperture, each comprising a plurality of discrete elements; and a propagation part in which electromagnetic radiation can propagate and illuminate the back aperture of the discrete lens; wherein:
each discrete element of the back aperture is homologous to a respective discrete element of the front aperture;
the discrete lens further comprises a plurality of transmission lines connecting between respective pairs of homologous discrete elements of the front aperture and the back aperture;
the front aperture is shaped as a flat surface; the back aperture is shaped as a portion of a sphere; the lengths of the plurality of transmission lines are chosen to be equal; for each pair of homologous discrete elements, a ratio between the radial excursions of the respective homologous discrete elements of the back aperture and the front aperture in the pair from a center axis of the discrete lens is equal to a ratio of a size of the back aperture and a size of the front aperture; and the discrete lens has one focal point located in the propagation part on a center of the sphere.

Assignees

• ESA

Inventors

• Toso Giovanni
• Angeletti Piero

Classifications

• H01Q25/00

  Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns (arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00) · CPC title

• H01Q15/06 Primary

  comprising plurality of wave-guiding channels of different length · CPC title

• H01Q19/062 Primary

  for focusing · CPC title