Nonrotationally Symmetric V-Band Geodesic Lens Antenna With Defined Footprint

This communication presents a Luneburg-like geodesic lens antenna with a defined footprint operating from 60 to 70 GHz. Traditionally, geodesic lens antennas are rotationally symmetric and consequently possess a large footprint. By defining the outline of the lens footprint, the overall size of the lens can be reduced while introducing new degrees of freedom to optimize its performance. An in-house ray-tracing algorithm was used to aid the design process of the lens. In the case presented, the geometric parameters were selected for the overall port performance. A final prototype was manufactured using laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF), with measurements agreeing closely with the simulated results. The proposed antenna finds applications in future wireless communication networks.