US 5,864,322 A · Dynamic plasma driven antenna

Abstract

An electronic scan antenna for generating an electrically scanned RF beam in response to an incident RF beam having at least one operating frequency band associated therewith includes a ground plane for reflecting the incident RF beam and a phasing arrangement of plasma structures operatively coupled to the ground plane. Each plasma structure includes gas containing areas which are reflective at the operating frequency range, when ionized, forming ionized plasma areas. Each ionized plasma area is disposed a first distance from the ground plane, a second distance from adjacent ionized plasma areas and each plasma ionized plasma area has a particular size associated therewith. In this manner, each ionized plasma area, in cooperation with the ground plane, provides a portion of a composite RF beam which has a phase shift associated therewith. The electronic scan antenna of the present invention also includes a control circuit for selectively ionizing the gas containing areas such that the size of each ionized plasma area may be dynamically varied so as to dynamically vary the imparted phase shift. In this manner, the composite RF beam may be electronically scanned.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electronic scan antenna for generating an electronically scanned RF beam in response to an incident RF beam having at least one operating frequency band associated therewith, which comprises:

reflective means for reflecting the incident RF beam;
a phasing arrangement of plasma structures being operatively coupled to the reflective means, each plasma structure including a plurality of gas containing areas which are reflective at the at least one operating frequency range, when ionized, forming ionized plasma areas, each ionized plasma area being disposed a first distance from the reflective means and a second distance from adjacent ionized plasma areas and each ionized plasma area having a size associated therewith such that each ionized plasma area, in cooperation with the reflective means, provides a portion of a composite RF beam having a phase shift associated therewith;
and
a control circuit for selectively ionizing the gas containing areas such that the size of each ionized plasma area may be dynamically varied so as to dynamically vary the phase shift imparted on each portion of the composite RF beam thereby permitting the composite RF beam to be electronically scanned.

1 more element

A radio frequency (RF) phasing structure for electromagnetically emulating a desired reflective surface of selected geometry over at least one operating frequency band, which comprises:

reflective means for reflecting energy of an incident RF beam within the at least one frequency band;
a phasing arrangement of at least one plasma structure being operatively coupled to the reflective means, the at least one plasma structure including at least one gas containing area which is reflective at the at least one operating frequency range, when ionized, forming at least one ionized plasma area, the ionized plasma area being disposed a distance from the reflective means and having a size associated therewith whereby the phasing structure generates a reflected RF beam with a phase shift imparted thereon in response to the incident RF beam so as to provide the emulation of the desired reflective surface of selected geometry;
and
a control circuit for dynamically varying the size of the at least one ionized plasma area such that the phase shift imparted on the reflected RF beam dynamically varies so that the reflected RF beam is electronically scanned.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dynamic plasma driven antenna

Life of this patent

Dynamic plasma driven antenna

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20