Focal-Plane Arrays With Improved Scan Capabilities

This article investigates the limits of focal-plane array (FPA) technology by studying a double-reflector antenna system with wide-angle scan capabilities. The proposed reflector configurations are analyzed in terms of effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) maximization, minimization of the required total number of array elements for a wide-scan range, and the highest number of simultaneously active array elements of the phased-array feed. Presented configurations have capabilities to operate in the scan range up to ± 30° in azimuth (±35 beamwidths scan) and ± 3° in elevation. It has been demonstrated how different optimizations could allow to build systems with varying performance in terms of the key operation parameters, such as array size, EIRP, and the number of active array elements. A detailed analysis is provided that demonstrates the potential applicability of this concept in future millimeter-wave (mm-wave) applications.