One-dimensional and two-dimensional electronically scanned slotted waveguide antennas using tunable band gap surfaces

• US 6,972,727 B1
• Filed: 06/10/2003
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Landt, Don L., West, James B., Mather, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benny T.
• Application Number:
  US10/458,481
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 333/161, 333/156, 333/157, 333/164, 343/771, 343/778
• US Class Current: 343/771
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/181 using ferroelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/182 Waveguide phase-shifters H01P1/181, H01P1/185, H01P1/19 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/2005 Electromagnetic photonic bandgaps [EPB], or photonic bandgaps [PBG]
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0056 Conically or cylindrically arrayed
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/44 varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element

Abstract

An electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna radiates an RF signal as a scannable beam. The antenna has radiation waveguides positioned in an array. Radiation slots in the radiation waveguides radiate the scannable beam. A feed waveguide is coupled to the radiation waveguides. The feed waveguide feeds the RF signal to the radiation waveguides through coupling slots. The feed waveguide has sidewalls with tunable electromagnetic crystal (EMXT) structures thereon. The EMXT structures vary the phase of the RF signal in the feed waveguide to scan the radiated beam in one dimension. The radiation waveguides may also have tunable EMXT structures on the sidewalls to vary the phase of the RF signal to scan the radiated beam in a second dimension. The EMXT structures may be discrete EMXT devices or a EMXT material layer covering the feed and radiation waveguide sidewalls.

Claims

1. An electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna for radiating an RF signal as a scannable beam, said antenna comprising:

a plurality of radiation waveguides positioned in an array and having radiation slots that radiate the scannable beam; and

a feed waveguide coupled to the plurality of radiation waveguides wherein said feed waveguide feeds the RF signal to said radiation waveguides through coupling slots, said feed waveguide comprising sidewalls having tunable electromagnetic crystal (EMXT) structures thereon, said EMXT structures for varying a phase of the RF signal in said feed waveguide to scan the radiated beam in a first dimension;

wherein said EMXT structures comprises a continuous EMXT material layer covering each feed waveguide sidewall.

2. An electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna for radiating an RF signal as a scannable beam, said antenna comprising:

a plurality of radiation waveguides positioned in an array and having radiation slots that radiate the scannable beam; and

a feed waveguide coupled to the plurality of radiation waveguides, wherein said feed waveguide feeds the RF signal to said radiation waveguides through coupling slots, said feed waveguide comprising sidewalls with substrate slats having discrete tunable electromagnetic crystal (EMXT) devices thereon, said EMXT devices varying a phase of the RF signal in said feed waveguide to scan the radiated beam in a first dimension, wherein each one of said substrate slats further comprise;

a substrate for mechanical mounting of the EMXT devices;

interconnect traces for interconnecting the EMXT devices and an external control;

a dielectric layer over the interconnect traces for providing insulation; and

a metal shield layer over the interconnect traces for providing an RF shield.

3. The electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna for radiating an RF signal as a scannable beam of claim 2, wherein a respective substrate slat is mounted to each of said feed waveguide sidewalls with said corresponding EMXT devices mounted in openings in said sidewalls.

4. An electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna for radiating an RF signal as a scannable beam, said antenna comprising:

a plurality of radiation waveguides positioned in an array and having radiation slots that radiate the scannable beam; and

a feed waveguide coupled to the plurality of radiation waveguides wherein said feed waveguide feeds the RF signal to said radiation waveguides through coupling slots, said feed waveguide comprising;

sidewalls having tunable electromagnetic crystal (EMXT) devices thereon, said EMXT devices for varying a phase of the RF signal in said feed waveguide to scan the radiated beam in a first dimension; and

substrate slats having said EMXT devices mounted thereon wherein each one of said substrate slats further comprise a substrate for mechanical mounting of the EMXT devices, interconnect traces for interconnecting the EMXT devices and an external control;

a dielectric layer over the interconnect traces for providing insulation; and

a metal shield layer over the interconnect traces for providing an RF shield.

5. The electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna for radiating an RF signal as a scannable beam of claim 4, wherein a respective substrate slat is mounted to each of said feed waveguide sidewalls with said corresponding EMXT devices mounted in openings in said sidewalls.

6. The electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna for radiating an RF signal as a scannable beam of claim 4, wherein said radiation waveguides further comprise sidewalls having radiation waveguide tunable EMXT devices thereon, said radiation waveguide tunable EMXT devices for varying a phase of the RF signal in said radiation waveguides to scan the radiated beam in a second dimension.

7. The electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna for radiating an RF signal as a scannable beam of claim 6, wherein said radiation waveguide tunable EMXT devices comprise a respective continuous EMXT material layer covering each radiation waveguide sidewall.

8. The electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna for radiating an RF signal as a scannable beam of claim 6, wherein said radiation waveguide tunable EMXT devices comprise discrete tunable EMXT devices.

9. The electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna for radiating a RF signal as a scannable beam of claim 6, wherein said radiation waveguides further comprise substrate slats having said radiation waveguide tunable EMXT devices mounted thereon.

10. The electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna for radiating an RF signal as a scannable beam of claim 9, wherein each one of said substrate slats further comprise:

a substrate for mechanical mounting of the radiation waveguide tunable EMXT devices;

interconnect traces for interconnecting the radiation waveguide tunable EXMT devices and an external control;

a dielectric layer over the interconnect traces for providing insulation; and

a metal shield layer over the interconnect traces for providing an RF shield.

11. The electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna for radiating an RF signal as a scannable beam of claim 9, wherein a respective substrate slat is mounted to each of said radiation waveguide sidewalls with said corresponding radiation waveguide tunable EMXT devices mounted in openings in said sidewalls.

12. An electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna for radiating an RF signal as a scannable beam, said antenna comprising:

a plurality of radiation waveguides positioned in an array and having radiation slots that radiate the scannable beam, wherein said radiation waveguides further comprise sidewalls with substrate slats having discrete radiation waveguide tunable electromagnetic crystal (EMXT) devices thereon, said discrete radiation waveguide tunable EMXT devices varying a phase of the RF signal in said radiation waveguide to scan the radiated beam in a second dimension, wherein each one of said substrate slats further comprise;

a substrate for mechanical mounting of the discrete radiation waveguide tunable EMXT devices;

interconnect traces for interconnecting the discrete radiation waveguide tunable EMXT devices and an external control;

a dielectric layer over the interconnect traces for providing insulation; and

a metal shield layer over the interconnect traces for providing an RF shield; and

a feed waveguide coupled to the plurality of radiation waveguides, wherein said feed waveguide feeds the RF signal to said radiation waveguides through coupling slots, said feed waveguide comprising sidewalls with substrate slats having discrete tunable EMXT devices thereon, said EMXT devices varying a phase of the RF signal in said feed waveguide to scan the radiated beam in a first dimension.

13. The electronically scanned slotted waveguide antenna for radiating an RF signal as a scannable beam of claim 12, wherein a respective substrate slat is mounted to each of said radiation waveguide sidewalls with said discrete radiation waveguide tunable EMXT devices mounted in openings in said sidewalls.