Quasi-optical beamformer comprising two reflectors

Abstract

A quasi-optical beamformer includes a plurality N> 1 of power feeds (PF), each of the i∈[1; N] power feeds (PF) being configured to emit a respective radio-frequency beam denoted Ri, a radio-frequency transmission line (LT) fed at a first end by the power feeds and comprising at a second end a plurality of network ports (PR) that are configured to collect radio-frequency radiation, the transmission line (LT) comprising a radio-frequency waveguide (GO) that comprises at least two metal plates (PM) that are stacked so as to guide the radio-frequency beams Ri, i∈[1; N] towards the network ports (PR), the transmission line (LT) extending along a central main axis denoted axis x, a first reflector (M1) having a first centre (C1) centred on the axis x and a first effective radius of curvature and being configured to reflect the guided radio-frequency beams Ri, i∈[1; N], a second reflector (M2) having a second effective radius of curvature and being configured to reflect the radio-frequency beams (RFi) reflected by the first reflector so as to direct them towards the network ports so as to form output radio-frequency beams (RSi), the first and second effective radii of curvature and an arrangement of the power feeds (PF) with respect to the first reflector being configured so that: each of the output radio-frequency beams (RSi) is a plane wave, and a transverse amplitude distribution Ai, on the network ports (PR), of each output radio-frequency beam (RSi), is substantially identical.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.