Lens-Enhanced Antenna Arrays for mm-Wave Communications
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan - Skolan för elektroteknik och Skolan f elektroteknik & datavetens |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 2 921 000 |
| Project duration | September 2023 - October 2025 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | The strategic innovation programme Electronic Components and Systems: |
| Call | Electronic components & systems - research and innovation projects 2023 |
Important results from the project
During this project, we demonstrated that the combination of conventional arrays, and lenses can be beneficial for improving the performance of conventional antennas. In particular, we showed that lenses help reduce grating lobes and expand the achievable scanning range. Finally, we confirmed that additive manufacturing has reached a level of maturity that makes it a viable option for future microwave and antenna products.
Expected long term effects
In the long term, our industrial partners will benefit from integrating lenses into their antenna systems. These lenses would enable more efficient antennas, reduce power consumption, increase angular scanning capabilities, and minimize unwanted radiation. Such advancements have the potential to impact several industries, including ground and satellite communications, radar systems, and automotive communication technologies.
Approach and implementation
The lens designs were developed using an in-house ray-tracing tool created at KTH. Because lens antennas are electrically large, simulating them with conventional electromagnetic software is computationally expensive. Therefore, for this project we used a fast physical-optics–based code. This approach reduced simulation times from several hours to just a few seconds, making it feasible to optimize the antennas within a reasonable timeframe.