Passive electromagnetic polarization shifter with dielectric slots
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsDaniel W. Harris, Vladimir Volman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for making a dielectric-slot polarizer includes affixing plural dielectric sheets in a stack with those sheets having the greatest dielectric constant toward the center of the stack. The dielectric sheets may be fused or joined to each other by heat, pressure, or both. A dielectric support sheet is affixed by adhesive to a first side of the stack to form a partially supported stack. Slots are defined through the partially supported stack down to the adhesive. A second dielectric support sheet is adhesively affixed over the slots of the stack to define the polarizer.
Claims12
A method for fabricating a dielectric polarizer or phase shifter, the method comprising the steps of:
- sandwiching a sheet of dielectric material exhibiting a first dielectric constant between a pair of sheets of dielectric material exhibiting a second dielectric constant, different from said first dielectric constant, to form a monolithic stack defining first and second surfaces;
- sandwiching a first adhesive preform between a first dielectric support sheet and said first surface of said monolithic stack, to form a partially supported stack;
- defining slots, grooves or groove-like depressions in the second surface of the partially supported stack, nominally to the depth of the first adhesive preform;
- and
- sandwiching a second adhesive preform between a second dielectric support sheet and the slotted or grooved second surface of the partially supported stack to define a fully supported stack.
A method for making a phase shifter for electromagnetic energy, said method comprising the steps of:
- stacking a plurality of generally planar dielectric sheets to produce a stack of dielectric sheets, with those dielectric sheets toward the center of said stack being selected to have a greater dielectric constant than those dielectric sheets toward the outside of said stack to form a unitary stack structure defining first and second sides;
- applying a first layer of adhesive to a first side of a first dielectric support sheet;
- affixing said first layer of adhesive on said first side of said first support sheet to said first side of said unitary stack structure forming a partially supported stack;
- defining slots, grooves or groove-like depressions in the second surface of said partially supported stack, nominally to the depth of the first adhesive layer;
- applying a second layer of adhesive to a first side of a second dielectric support sheet;
- and
- affixing said second layer of adhesive on said first side of said second support sheet to the second side of said partially supported stack having said slots, grooves or groove-like depressions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.