Surface-Mounted Ka-Band Vivaldi Antenna Array

Henri Kahkonen,Juha Ala-Laurinaho,Ville Viikari

doi:10.1109/ojap.2020.3046465

Henri Kahkonen, Juha Ala-Laurinaho + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1109/ojap.2020.3046465

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Abstract

The first electrically steerable dual-polarized Ka-band Vivaldi antenna array with connector-less, surface-mount interface is developed. The antenna interface includes integrated coaxial feed lines within the antenna element structure and contact pads on the PCB. The antenna array covers the frequency range from 26 to 40 GHz with a beam steering range of approximately ±60° in the elementary planes and ±50° in the diagonal plane, having less than 3 dB of scan loss. The 8×8 antenna array is manufactured with a feeding network for one polarization, and the operation of the interface and the electrical beam steering is demonstrated. Measurements are used to characterize the manufactured feed network, the gain of the antenna array and the steering range. The measured gain is between 19 and 22 dB, agreeing very well with the simulation and implying that the antenna interface operates properly. Furthermore, the antenna scan measurements agree with the simulation results.

Highlights

V IVALDI antenna elements have been studied and used in electrically steerable wideband arrays from low microwave frequencies generally up to the K-band, but designs with limited number of elements, i.e., linear arrays, have been published for higher frequencies [1]–[12]
Two different PCB designs are manufactured: one for measuring the broadside pattern of the antenna array to study the behavior of the feeding network and the other with inline phase shifters with each of the elements to demonstrate beam steering
The antenna array operational band extends from 26 to 40 GHz, the comparison of the measured and simulated performance concentrates on the band between 32 and 37 GHz due to the limitation set by the phase shifters

Summary

Introduction

V IVALDI antenna elements have been studied and used in electrically steerable wideband arrays from low microwave frequencies generally up to the K-band, but designs with limited number of elements, i.e., linear arrays, have been published for higher frequencies [1]–[12]. Two different PCB designs are manufactured: one for measuring the broadside pattern of the antenna array to study the behavior of the feeding network and the other with inline phase shifters with each of the elements to demonstrate beam steering.

Results

Conclusion