Subwavelength aperture monopulse conformal antenna

• US 8,354,953 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Williams, Brett A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOBO, IAN J
• Application Number:
  US11/616,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20080174509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,211 Days
• Field of Search: 343/754, 342/62
• US Class Current: 342/62
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2246 Active homing systems, i.e. comprising both a transmitter and a receiver
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2253 Passive homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and do not requiring an active illumination of the target
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/226 Semi-active homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and involving auxiliary illuminating means, e.g. using auxiliary guiding missiles
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2286 using radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2293 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/008 Surface plasmon devices diffractive gratings with a pitch less than or comparable to the wavelength G02B5/1809; surface plasmons in integrated optics G02B6/1226; optical analysis of materials by means of surface plasmons G01N21/553
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/281 Nose antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0073 said selective devices having corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0086 said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/02 Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism

Abstract

In various aspects and embodiments, incident electromagnetic radiation is received through a subwavelength aperture in a lens, the subwavelength aperture being defined by a substrate encased in a dielectric medium.

Claims

1. A missile, comprising:

a sleek radome;

a lensing system, including a pair of lenses, each lens comprising;

a dielectric medium; and

a substrate encased in the dielectric medium and defining a subwavelength aperture therethrough and a periodic surface feature thereon;

a pair of detectors capable of receiving energy transmitted through the lens;

a flight control mechanism; and

a controller capable of non-coherent Fresnel direction finding a target from the received energy and transmitting a flight correction signal to the flight control mechanism responsive thereto.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a periodic surface feature functionally associated with the subwavelength aperture.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the periodic surface feature is functionally associated with the subwavelength aperture by an evanescent-wave coupling.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radome comprises a metal or a dielectric material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radome comprises means for defining the geometry of the lensing system and in which the lensing system is disposed.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a radome in which a pair of opposed subwavelength apertures are positioned and angled away from each other;

a lens that positions the subwavelength apertures in the radome and includes;

a dielectric medium; and

a substrate encased in the dielectric medium and defining at least one of the subwavelength apertures;

a detector receiving energy transmitted through the subwavelength apertures and generating a signal representative of the patterns of the received energy; and

a computing apparatus that, in operation, combines the patterns of the detected energy to find an angle to a point of reflection for the received energy using an amplitude comparison.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the lens comprises a lensing system.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the radome comprises means for defining the geometry of the lensing system and in which the lensing system is disposed.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the lensing system comprises a plurality of individual lenses or a collar.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the radome is a sleek radome.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the lens is foreshortened.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the radome is a sleek radome.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the sleek radome comprises a von barman or an Ogive radome.

14. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the computing apparatus comprises means for combining the patterns of the detected energy to find the angle to the point of reflection for the received energy.

15. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the angle of the subwavelength apertures filters unwanted radiation from the received radiation.

16. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the substrate includes a periodic surface feature functionally associated with the subwavelength aperture.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the periodic surface feature is functionally associated with the subwavelength aperture by an evanescent-wave coupling.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the substrate defines the periodic surface feature on at least one of the illumination side and the exit side thereof.

19. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the radome comprises a metal or a dielectric material.

20. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the radome is a blunt radome.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the blunt radome comprises a semi-spherical or hemispherical radome.

22. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the computing apparatus, in operation, finds the angle through non-coherent Fresnel direction finding.

23. A method, comprising:

receiving reflected energy through a pair of opposed subwavelength apertures encased in a dielectric that are angled away from each other;

separately detecting the energy received through each of the subwavelength apertures;

generating a pair of signals representative of the patterns of the separately detected energy; and

combining the patterns of the detected energy as represented in the signals to find an angle to a point of reflection for the received energy using an amplitude comparison, including non-coherent Fresnel direction finding.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving the reflected energy includes filtering unwanted radiation through the angling of the subwavelength apertures.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising transmitting a flight correction signal to a flight control mechanism of a vehicle responsive to the angle determination.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving reflected energy through a pair of opposed subwavelength apertures that are angled away from each other, the means comprising;

a radome in which the subwavelength apertures are positioned;

a pair of lenses that position the subwavelength apertures in the radome, each lens including;

a dielectric medium; and

a substrate encased in the dielectric medium and defining a respective one of the subwavelength apertures;

means for separately detecting the energy received through each of the subwavelength apertures;

means for generating a pair of signals representative of the patterns of the separately detected energy; and

means for combining the patterns of the detected energy as represented in the signals to find an angle to a point of reflection for the received energy using an amplitude comparison.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the substrate includes a periodic surface feature functionally associated with the subwavelength aperture.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the periodic surface feature is functionally associated with the subwavelength aperture by an evanescent-wave coupling.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the lens is foreshortened.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the combining means comprises means for combining the patterns of the detected energy to find the angle to the point of reflection for the received energy using non-coherent Fresnel direction finding.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the receiving means furthermore filters radiation from unwanted radiation.

32. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising means for transmitting a flight correction signal to a flight control mechanism of a vehicle responsive to the angle determination.