All-metal Ku-band Luneburg lens antenna based on variable parallel plate spacing Fakir bed of nails

International audienceThis paper presents an all-metal parallel plate waveguide (PPW) Luneburg lens designed using an array of subwavelength Fakir bed of nails unit-cells. Variation of the metal post height and PPW-spacing modulates the effective refractive index. The lens operates in the Ku-band of frequencies, with more than 40% bandwidth, in a quasi-TEM mode. Broadband and low loss, with high directivity and wide field-of-view, this antenna could be an excellent candidate as a lens-like beamformer for multiple beams satellite communication applications. © 2017 Euraap