Transverse device array radiator ESA

• US 20060132369A1
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Lewis, Robert T., Robertson, Ralston S., Henderson, William H., Broas, Romulo J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,106,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/754
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/20 Non-resonant leaky-waveguide or transmission-line antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/28 comprising elements constituting electric discontinuities and spaced in direction of wave propagation, e.g. dielectric elements or conductive elements forming artificial dielectric

Abstract

An antenna array employing continuous transverse stubs as radiating elements is described, which includes an upper conductive plate structure comprising a set of continuous transverse stubs, and a lower conductive plate structure disposed in a spaced relationship relative to the upper plate structure. The upper plate structure and the lower plate structure define an overmoded waveguide medium for propagation of electromagnetic energy. For each of the stubs, one or more transverse device array phase shifters are disposed therein.

Claims

1. An antenna array employing continuous transverse stubs as radiating elements, comprising:

an upper conductive plate structure comprising a set of continuous transverse stubs each defining a stub radiator;

a lower conductive plate structure disposed in a spaced relationship relative to the upper plate structure;

a side wall plate structure defining with the upper conductive plate structure and the lower conductive plate structure an overmoded waveguide medium for propagation of electromagnetic energy;

for each of said stubs, one or more transverse device array (TDA) phase shifters disposed therein.

2. The array of claim 1, wherein said one or more TDA phase shifters includes a plurality of cascaded TDA phase shifters.

3. The array of claim 1, wherein said one or more TDA phase shifters each comprises a generally planar dielectric substrate having a circuit defined thereon, the circuit including a plurality of spaced discrete semiconductor diode elements each having a voltage variable reactance, the substrate disposed within the stub radiator generally transverse to side wall surfaces of the stub radiator;

and

a bias circuit for applying a reverse bias voltage to effect the voltage variable reactance;

the TDA phase shifter under reverse bias causing a change in phase of microwave or millimeter wave energy propagating through the stub radiator.

4. The array of claim 3, wherein

said one or more TDA phase shifters includes a plurality of cascaded phase shifters in spaced relation within the stub radiator.

5. The array of claim 3, wherein each TDA phase shifter circuit comprises a dielectric substrate, and wherein the substrates of each of said plurality of phase shifters are arranged in a parallel arrangement.

6. The array of claim 1, wherein the overmoded waveguide medium is filled with a homogenous and isotropic dielectric material.

7. The array of claim 1, wherein the waveguide structure has a broad wall dimension selected to be “

N”

times a wavelength of a center frequency of operation of the array.

8. The array of claim 1, wherein the transverse device array phase shifters include discrete semiconductor diodes.

9. The array of claim 8, wherein the discrete semiconductor devices comprise varactor diodes or Schottky diodes or voltage variable capacitors.

10. The array of claim 1, further comprising an array of transmit/receive modules or phase shifters to launch an input wave with a canted wave front.

11. A one dimensional continuous transverse stub electronically scanned array, comprising:

an overmoded waveguide structure having a top conductive broad wall surface comprising a set of continuous transverse stubs, a bottom conductive broad wall surface, and opposed first and second conductive side wall surfaces;

at least one transverse device array circuit disposed in each stub, each circuit comprising a generally planar dielectric substrate having a microwave circuit defined thereon, and a plurality of spaced discrete semiconductor device elements each having a semiconductor junction, the substrate disposed within the stub generally transverse to the side wall surfaces; and

a bias circuit for applying a reverse bias voltage to reverse bias the semiconductor junctions;

the transverse device array circuits under reverse bias causing a change in phase of microwave or millimeter wave energy propagating through the stubs to scan a beam in one dimension.

12. The array of claim 11, wherein the semiconductor elements each comprise a varactor diode structure.

13. The array of claim 11, wherein the at least one transverse device array circuit comprises a plurality of spaced transverse device array circuits disposed in the stub, each circuit comprising a substrate, and wherein the substrates of the plurality of spaced transverse array circuits are disposed in a cascaded configuration.

14. The phase shifter of claim 11 further comprising a dielectric fill material disposed in said waveguide structure.

15. An antenna array employing continuous transverse stubs as radiating elements, comprising:

an upper conductive plate structure comprising a set of continuous transverse stubs each defining a stub radiator;

a lower conductive plate structure disposed in a spaced relationship relative to the upper plate structure;

a side wall plate structure defining with the upper conductive plate structure and the lower conductive plate structure an overmoded waveguide medium for propagation of electromagnetic energy;

for each of said stubs, one or more transverse device array (TDA) phase shifters disposed therein and

means for launching an input wave with a canted wave front into the waveguide medium.

16. The array of claim 15, wherein said one or more TDA phase shifters includes a plurality of cascaded TDA phase shifters.

17. The array of claim 15, wherein said one or more TDA phase shifters each comprises a dielectric substrate having a circuit defined thereon, the circuit including a plurality of spaced discrete semiconductor diode elements each having a voltage variable reactance, the substrate disposed within the stub radiator generally transverse to side wall surfaces of the stub radiator;

and

a bias circuit for applying a reverse bias voltage to effect the voltage variable reactance;

the TDA phase shifter under reverse bias causing a change in phase of microwave or millimeter wave energy propagating through the stub radiator.

18. The array of claim 17, wherein said one or more TDA phase shifters includes a plurality of cascaded phase shifters in spaced relation with the stub radiator.

19. The array of claim 17, wherein each TDA phase shifter circuit comprises a dielectric substrate, and wherein the substrates of each of said plurality of phase shifters are arranged in a parallel arrangement.

20. The array of claim 15, wherein the overmoded waveguide medium is filled with a homogenous and isotropic dielectric material.

21. The array of claim 15, wherein the waveguide structure has a broad wall dimension selected to be “

N”

times a wavelength of a center frequency of operation of the array.

22. The array of claim 15, wherein the transverse device array phase shifters include discrete semiconductor diodes.

23. The array of claim 22, wherein the discrete semiconductor devices comprise varactor diodes or Schottky diodes or voltage variable capacitors.

24. The array of claim 17, further comprising a beam steering controller for controlling said means for launching and said bias circuit for scanning the beam in two dimensions.

25. The array of claim 15, wherein said means for launching an input wave comprises an array of transmit/receive modules or phase shifters to launch said input wave.