Additive Manufacture of a Luneburg Lens with a Conformal Feed Array for Ultrawide Scan Angle Passive Beamforming

In this presentation, we will demonstrate the use of advanced hybrid multimaterial additive manufacturing (AM) platforms to fabricate a fully integrated antenna feed array for use in passive beamforming applications. Specifically, we will discuss the design and characterization of a fully printed integrated antenna feed that combines threaded SMA connectors, wideband impedance transforming baluns, and a spiral antenna. We will also present a method for conformal integration of the antenna feeds on a doubly curved spherical surface. Specifically, we show results of a conformal array of printed feeds mated to the surface of spherical Luneburg lens for use in ultrawide angle passive beam steering applications.