A low sidelobe Ka-band antenna-radome study

An experimental
K_{a}
-band (37 GHz) lens antenna designed to have -40 dB sidelobes or lower outside a cone of minimum practical size is described. The results are compared to that optimum Taylor pattern which, for fixed aperture size, maximizes the directivity on boresight subject to the above sidelobe constraint. The effect of a thick homogeneous spherical radome on the sidelobes, as well as a more conventional dish antenna, was also measured.