Experimental Investigation of a Low-Cost, High Performance Focal-Plane Horn Array
Abstract
In previous work, we have described novel smooth-walled multiple flare-angle horns designed using a genetic algorithm. A key feature of these horns is that they can be manufactured very rapidly and cheaply in large numbers, by repeated direct drilling into a single plate of aluminum using a shaped machine tool. The rapid manufacturing technique will enable the construction of very low cost focal-plane arrays, offering an alternative to conventional electroformed corrugated horn arrays. In order to experimentally demonstrate the new technology, we constructed a 230 GHz focal-plane array comprising 37 smooth- walled horns fabricated by direct drilling. We present the measured beam patterns for a large sample of these horns across the array, demonstrating the suitability of our manufacturing techniques for large format arrays. We have measured the cross coupling between adjacent feeds and have shown that it is negligible. We also present high quality beam patterns measured for a much smaller 700 GHz horn, showing the promise of the extending this technology to THz frequencies.
Additional Information
© 2011 IEEE. Manuscript received August 01, 2011; revised November 03, 2011; accepted November 17, 2011. Date of publication December 08, 2011; date of current version January 18, 2012. The construction and testing of the horn array prototypes, and horn software development work was supported using an STFC follow-on fund grant and support from the Keck Institute for Space Studies, at the California Institute of Technology. The authors would like to thank Bertrand Thomas, Manju Henry, Jeanne Treuttel and M.L. Oldfield for their assistance in setting up and using the ABmm vector network analyzer and 230 GHz antenna test range at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories. The authors are pursuing the commercialization of this technology, both for sub-mm and longer wavelengths, in collaboration with ISIS Innovation Ltd., the technology transfer company of the University of Oxford.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 64932
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- CaltechAUTHORS:20160301-154003519
- Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
- Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS)
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2016-03-02Created from EPrint's datestamp field
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2021-11-10Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Keck Institute for Space Studies