Planar gradient-index artificial dielectric lens and method for manufacture
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorsVinh N. Nguyen, Serdar H. Yonak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gradient index lens for electromagnetic radiation includes a dielectric substrate, a plurality of conducting patches supported by the dielectric substrate, the conducting patches preferably being generally square shaped and having an edge length, the edge length of the conducting patches varying with position on the dielectric substrate so as to provide a gradient index for the electromagnetic radiation. Examples include gradient index lenses for millimeter wave radiation, and use with antenna systems.
Claims17
An apparatus, the apparatus being a gradient index lens for electromagnetic radiation, the apparatus including:
- a dielectric substrate;
- a plurality of conducting patches, each patch having a continuous solid metal surface, formed as a square, supported by the dielectric substrate, the conducting patches each having centers located at intersections of a uniformly spaced regular square grid array arrangement on the dielectric substrate,
- each metal square having an edge length varying with position on the dielectric substrate, so as to provide a gradient index for the electromagnetic radiation.
An apparatus, the apparatus comprising a gradient index lens for millimeter-wave radiation, the gradient index lens including
- a plurality of dielectric substrates;
- each dielectric substrate supporting an array of conducting patches, each of the conducting patches having a continuous solid metal surface formed as a square, the conducting patches having centers located at intersections of a uniformly spaced regular square grid array arrangement on the dielectric substrate,
- each metal square having an edge length, varying with position in the gradient index lens so as to provide a gradient index for millimeter wave radiation,
- the gradient index lens having a center, the edge length and the index decreasing with radial distance from the center.
An apparatus, the apparatus being a gradient index lens for millimeter-wave radiation, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of dielectric substrates;
- each dielectric substrate supporting a plurality of conducting patches, each patch having a continuous solid metal surface, formed as a square, the conducting patches having centers located at intersections of a uniformly spaced regular square grid array arrangement on the dielectric substrate,
- each metal square having an edge length, varying with position in the gradient index lens,
- the conducting patches being arranged in a three-dimensional body centered cubic arrangement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.