A novel flat lens horn antenna designed based on zero refraction principle of metamaterials
Abstract
In this paper, a horn antenna filled with a metamaterial structure as lens inner the aperture is presented. Unlike conventional curve lenses, the lens is designed in the present work using a fully flat structure, which results in a great improvement for the directivity of the horn antenna based on the zero refraction characteristics of the metamaterial. In this structure, a periodic-structure metamaterial with three-layer metal grids is designed using the CST Microwave Studio for optimization and its zero refraction property is validated. For the characterization of the antenna, the electric-field distribution in radiation area, reflection parameter (S11), gain and radiation pattern are calculated. The results show that the gain of a wide flare angle horn antenna is enhanced with over 2 dB between 16.10 17.30 GHz after the metamaterial is utilized. Therefore, the metamaterial lens horn structure results in a miniaturized antenna design approach compared to the optimum conventional horn of the same aperture size and gain in the interested frequency band.
- Publication:
-
Applied Physics A: Materials Science & Processing
- Pub Date:
- May 2007
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s00339-006-3820-9
- Bibcode:
- 2007ApPhA..87..151W