Radio Physics and Radio Astronomy (Sep 2021)
AN ANTENNA BASED ON A HYBRID METAL–DIELECTRIC STRUCTURE
Abstract
Purpose: Nowadays, in the millimeter frequency range, the dielectric waveguides of various modifications have certain advantages over the standard metal waveguides, primarily due to the possibility of creating functional units based on them. This is due to the relative simplicity and low cost of manufacturing the dielectric waveguides and functional units using them, the high degree of their integration with active elements, the use in their manufacture of different dielectrics and polymers with a wide range of material constants and a variety of mechanical properties (in particular, some materials have a significant flexibility). After making a series of physical experiments we have found the possibility of implementing the frequency selection and radiation into free space of electromagnetic waves by a hybrid metal-dielectric structure. Design/methodology/approach: The studied electrodynamic structure belongs to the class of hybrid metal-dielectric structures. It includes a modified inverted dielectric waveguide with a periodic sequence on the dielectric plate of fifteen dielectric rods with metallized coating on one of the faces placed outwards. The structure efficiency was estimated by the voltage standing-wave ratio (VSWR) values and power attenuation in the duct. The measurements were made with the reflectometer method. To estimate the degree of electromagnetic field concentration near the rod inhomogeneities in the near zone, the mobile probe method was used. The field structures were visualized with the method of isolines. Findings: The results of a series of experimental investigations showed the possibility of matching the structure with the external waveguides in the frequency range of 26.5-32.5 GHz with the voltage standing-wave ratio (VSWR) less than 1.8. The frequency dependence of attenuation is oscillatory with clearly expressed frequency ranges with small and large attenuation values. Moreover, the dependence is almost periodic, which is typical of periodic structures. The frequency response slope in the transition zones can be quite high and reach values of 41.26 dB/GHz. The degree of concentration of the electric field near the waveguide dielectric rod and the degree of excitation of the dielectric inhomogeneities was found by directly measured electric field strength in the near zone. Measurements of energy characteristics made under the short-circuit conditions for the main guide and in the mode of matched load of the main guide showed both the ability to control the polarization characteristics and the ability to change the appearance of the pattern and its orientation in space. Conclusions: It has been experimentally proven that a hybrid metal-dielectric structure, being a modified inverted dielectric waveguide with a periodic sequence on the dielectric plate of fifteen dielectric rods with metalized coating on one of the faces placed outwards, can be effectively integrated into a standard transmission line. It is found that this structure can be matched with the external circuits in a fairly wide frequency range. It is also found that in different frequency ranges this hybrid metal-dielectric structure shows the possibility of both efficient frequency selection and radiation in free space. Antenna measurements have shown the beam pattern shape controllability.
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