Patch antenna array for transmission of hermite-gaussian and laguerre gaussian beams

A multi-level antenna array, comprising:

• a transmitter comprising:
• a first plurality of patch antennas;
• a first plurality of layers, each of the first plurality of layers separated from each other by a distance, each of the first plurality of layers further supporting a portion of the first plurality of patch antennas;
• a first plurality of connectors, each of the first plurality of connectors associated with one of the first plurality of layers, for supplying a signal for transmission by the associated layer;
• a feed network on each of the first plurality of layers for providing a connection between a connector of the first plurality of connectors associated with the layer and the portion of the first plurality of patch antennas located on the layer;
• wherein each layer of the first plurality of layers transmits the signal having a different orthogonal function applied thereto that multiplexes each of the signals having the different orthogonal function applied thereto onto a single transmission beam;
• a receiver comprising;
• a second plurality of patch antennas;
• a second plurality of layers, each of the second plurality of layers separated from each other by a distance, each of the second plurality of layers further supporting a portion of the second plurality of patch antennas;
• a second plurality of connectors, each of the second plurality of connectors associated with one of the second plurality of layers, for supplying a signal received by the associated layer;
• a second feed network on each of the second plurality of layers for providing a connection between a connector of the plurality of connectors associated with the layer and the portion of the plurality of patch antennas located on the layer;
• wherein each layer of the plurality of layers receives the signal having a different orthogonal function applied thereto and demultiplexes each of the signals having the different orthogonal function applied thereto into the signals provided to each of the plurality of connectors.

A multi-level antenna array, comprising:

• a plurality of patch antennas;
• a plurality of layers, each of the plurality of layers separated from each other by a distance, each of the plurality of layers further supporting a portion of the plurality of patch antennas;
• a plurality of connectors, each of the plurality of connectors associated with one of the plurality of layers, for supplying a signal for transmission by the associated layer;
• a feed network on each of the plurality of layers for providing a connection between a connector of the plurality of connectors associated with the layer and the portion of the plurality of patch antennas located on the layer;
• wherein each layer of the plurality of layers transmits the signal having a different orthogonal function applied thereto that multiplexes each of the signals having the different orthogonal function applied thereto onto a single transmission beam;
• and
• wherein the different orthogonal function comprises one of a Hermite-Gaussian function, a Laguerre-Gaussian function, an Ince-Gaussian function, a Jacobi polynomial function, Gegenbauer polynomial function, Legendre polynomial function, Chebyshev polynomial function, Legendre function, Bessel function or prolate spheroidal function.