Single input circular and slant polarization selectivity by means of dielectric control

• US 7,847,748 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Dean, Jeffery A., McKinley, William S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCUSO, HUEDUNG XUAN CAO
• Application Number:
  US11/685,469
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 343/850, 343/853, 343/767, 343/700.MS, 343/881, 343/915, 343/815, 343/756
• US Class Current: 343/756
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/24 Polarising devices; Polarisation filters H01Q15/12, H01Q15/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0435 using two feed points

Abstract

An antenna and a method of creating multiple polarization states in an antenna comprising providing to the antenna a single power input, dividing the power received from the single power input, and transmitting the divided power to a radiating element via a plurality of transmission lines.

Claims

1. An antenna and feed network therefor configured to achieve multiple polarization states, said antenna and feed network comprising:

a single power input;

a single radiating element;

a power divider receiving power from said single power input;

a plurality of transmission lines extending from said power divider to said radiating element, wherein said plurality of transmission lines comprises a variable dielectric material, said dielectric material divided into discrete sections; and

a plurality of biasing lines providing input to said discrete sections of said dielectric material.

2. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said plurality of transmission lines comprises barium-strontium-titanate.

3. The antenna of claim 1 additionally comprising one or more capacitors providing direct current isolation between said paraelectric material and said power output lines.

4. The antenna of claim 3 wherein said one or more capacitors comprise silicon nitride.

5. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises quartz.

6. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said transmission lines comprise gold.

7. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said dielectric material is divided in sections equal in number to the number of the plurality of transmission lines.

8. The antenna of claim 7 additionally comprising a plurality of bias lines providing input to each of said sections.

9. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said plurality numbers two.

10. The antenna of claim 1 wherein said antenna divides radio frequency power.

11. A method of creating multiple polarization states in an antenna, the method comprising the steps of:

providing to the antenna a single power input;

dividing the power received from the single power input;

transmitting the divided power to a single radiating element via a plurality of transmission lines, wherein the plurality of transmission lines comprises a variable dielectric material, said dielectric material divided into discrete sections; and

applying a voltage to a biasing line in at least one of the discrete sections of the dielectric material.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of transmission lines comprises barium-strontium-titanate.

13. The method of claim 11 additionally comprising providing direct current isolation between the paraelectric material and the power output lines via one or more capacitors.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the one or more capacitors comprise silicon nitride.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the substrate comprises quartz.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the transmission lines comprise gold.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the dielectric material is divided into discrete sections equal in number to the number of the plurality of transmission lines.

18. The method of claim 17 additionally comprising biasing each of the discrete sections via a plurality of bias lines.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality numbers two.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the method divides radio frequency power.