Sub-Wavelength
Multibeam antennas :
Backhaul key components
RF & Microwave
April 2015
Alain LE FEVRE (Thales Communications & Security)
Romain CZARNY (Thales Reseach &Technology)
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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Content
•
•
•
•
•
SARABAND Project / Antenna requirements
Technology
Application
Manufacturing
Conclusion
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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SARABAND PROJECT OVERVIEW
Namely, SARABAND project objectives can be summarized as follows:
• To develop low-profile high-gain antennas in Q-band
• To develop Q-band multi-beam antennas with up to five beams of and one
mono beam with programmable directions
• To implement Q-band high power radio front-end with MMICS on a smart
(miniaturized) technology SIP (System in Package)
• Integration of antennas with radio heads to achieve a cost effective and
compact solution and demonstrate on the Campus of the University of
VALENCIA the performances of the Network
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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Three antennas were developed during the Project (Sub-λ Lens,
Fabry-Perot and CSPA - Circular Switched Parasitic Array
@ 41-43 GHz)
Fabry Perot
antenna (19,8 dBi)
CSPA antenna (10
or 15 dBi)
Lens
This presentation develops the design of Lens
antennas and specifically
MULTIBEAM LENS ANTENNA
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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Lens antenna development.
Existing antennas
Bulk Lens/Horn Feeder
(Gain > 32 dBi)
Patch antenna (Gain = 28
dBi)
In respect of the dimensions allowed (110X110 mm) , no possibility of gain
improvement with patch antenna.
No molding process capability for bulk Lens antenna: shrinkage = Cost
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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Lens antenna development: Requirements
Gain > patch
antenna and
equivalent to Bulk
lens antenna
Respect of the
dimensions ( 120 X
120 mm L and l)
Production
Capability
Multibeam
Capability
Versatility for
AdaptedMultibeam
applications
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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ANTENNAS TECHNOLOGY
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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Sub-λ Lens Technology
Lens antenna compactness improvement
Q Band applications: need to reduce lens weight, thickness and
cost while enhancing performances
Go from 3 D bulk to a quasi-flat one
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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Sub-λ Lens Technology
Traditional approach
Bulk dielectric RF lens
THALES R&T
Metamaterial approach
Sub-wavelength binary diffractive RF lens
Low profile and efficient RF lens
Capacity to tailor locally
effective permittivity with :

Ls < l
l
1 < eff < 
Periodical sub-wavelength Structure
Gives the ability to obtain a localSARABAND
phaseANTENNAS
control
9
Dimensions and performances
Sub-wavelength
Lens*
BULK Lens
(Hyperbolic)
Higher illumination efficiency for the sub-l configuration
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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*Co-design THALES R&T and ORTEH within SARABAND
Performances benchmark
Lens Antenna Gain (D=150mm L=115mm)
34
Optimised
sub-wavelength lens*
33.5
G / dBi
33
32.5
Sub-wavelength lens*
32
Bulk
Sub-Lambda
Sub-Lambda AR
31.5
31
40
40.5
41
41.5
42
f / GHz
42.5
43
43.5
Bulk lens
44
In the same antenna configuration up to ~ 1,5 dB gain
improvement thanks to sub-wavelength technology
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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*Co-design THALES R&T and ORTEH within SARABAND
APPLICATIONS
Compact and intergrated
High-gain multi-beam lens antenna
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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Multi-beam
lens antenna concept
5 distributed beams
within  30°
Feeder
Lens
(sub-wavelength)
Distributor
(sub-wavelength)
30°
Low cost reconfigurability thanks to modification
of the customised distributor
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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Multi-beam* lens antenna
42 GHz results
Distributeur Laure à 42 GHz - Mesure VV - (gated 4ns)
0
-5
-10
X: 47
Y: -17.19
Normalized Pattern / dB
-15
-20
-25
-30
-35
-40
-45
-50
-90
-75
-60
-45
-30
-15
0
angle / deg
15
30
45
60
75
90
25 dBi measured for central beam at 42 GHz
91% distribution efficiency
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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*Design THALES R&T within SARABAND
Application to Multibeam lens
antenna- 3 beams (Demonstrator)
The multibeam lens antenna can be designed for 3
receivers @ 0°, -10° and +22° angles from the
transmitter.
-10°
22°
0°
Central Station
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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PRODUCTION
• ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING (AM)
• Traditional manufacturing process are not
adapted for Sub-λ Lens
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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Mechanical requirements
Structure size between 4,0 and 0,4 mm (at 42 GHz)
Height/size aspect ratio between 4 and 40
Precision of ~ 0,1 mm
Materials requirements
Low loss material (tan δ < 0,01) at 42 GHz
Durable materials
Is Dielectric AM an answer
Versatile for dielectric shaping
Small batches production capability
Some AM technologies can meet the mechanical requirements
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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Additive Manufacturing process and Material
Characterization.
• SLS: Selective Laser
Sintering
• CJP: Colour Jet
Printing
• FDM: Fused Deposit
Modelling
• MJP: MultiJet Printing
•
•
•
•
•
•
ULTEM
PC
ABS
PA
FullCure 720
EX-200
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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CONCLUSION
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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Cf Presentation of
F. MAGNE: Mulibeam cost
performance
8266
8775
Capex backhaul
/subscribers
4 Sectors 25€
Multibeam 19,5€
Price reduction 22%
7402
5718
542
427
841
643
1033
844
1
2
3
1937
1530
4
2985
2402
3814
2986
5
6
Capex multibeam
City number
K inhabitants
S surface km²
d/households
subscribers K
4597
3701
4419
7
8
5611
9
10
Capex 90°
1
50
12
1,7
20
2
75
20
1,5
30
3
100
20
2
40
4
200
30
3
80
5
300
50
2,4
120
6
400
50
3,2
160
7
500
50
4
200
8
600
75
3,2
240
9
750
100
3
300
10
1000
75
5
400
k
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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• Lens antennas, as well as CSPA, patch and Fabry Perot
antennas were developed during SARABAND Project
• Sub-λ Lens antenna characteristics are presented in this
presentation.
• High gain Sub-λ lens antenna offers weight reduction
(160g/445g) thickness reduction (13mm/55mm) and
cost reduction (100 euros/250 euros) versus bulk lens
antenna.
• Multibeam lens antenna design is a very attractive
innovation with beams number and gain adaptation
and versatility
SARABAND ANTENNAS
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SARABAND
List of Partners
● Thales Communications & Security SA
● BLUWAN UK Ltd
● Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches
Aerospatiales
● Fraunhofer – Institute for High Frequency
Physics and Radar Techniques
● Thales Research & Technology
● Systrel SAS
● Universitat Politècnica de València
● Fibernova Systems SL
● Orteh SP. Z O.O.
sarabandfp7.eu
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