Additive Manufactured 3:1 Bandwidth Dual-Polarized Range Antenna

A family of 3:1 Dual-Polarized Antennas has been developed for use in near-field ranges as the probe or range antenna and for use as a Compact Antenna Test Range (CATR) feed [1]. Key development parameters of the antenna are: a wideband impedance match to the coaxial feed line, E and H-plane 1 dB beam widths in excess of 30 degrees, −25 dB on axis cross-polarization, minimum polarization tilt and a phase center that varies over a small region near the aperture. To accomplish these design parameters, a family of range antennas has been developed and previously introduced [1]. Two versions of the antenna have been manufactured and tested for performance. A 2–6 GHz version has been developed using traditional machining techniques and a 6–18 GHz version has been produced using additive manufacturing (3D printing) techniques. In this paper, we focus on the performance of the 6–18 GHz antenna produced using additive manufacturing. The measured performance of the antenna will be presented and compared to previous simulation. The advantages of additive manufacturing for this type antenna will be discussed. Finally, the applicability of the antenna as a CATR feed and its use in near-field scanning will be discussed.