High speed wireless communications at the 60 GHz band require high gain antennas to overcome the effects of atmospheric attenuation. On the other the need to provide ubiquitous communications require to scan the high gain beams towards the direction of the users. One alternative to phase-arrays is to achieve beam switching by the use of lenses. In particular, we have studied the use of flat-lenses with gradient refraction index. The lenses have been manufactured in Low Temperature Cofired Ceramics (LTCC) and the gradient refraction index has been achieved by a proper distribution of holes on the LTCC. LTTC allow for lens integration and beam scanning can be produced by the use of switches instead of phase-shifters.
M.Imbert, J. Romeu, M. Baquero-Escudero, M. T. Martinez-Ingles, J. M. Molina-Garcia-Pardo and L. Jofre, “Assessment of LTCC-Based Dielectric Flat Lens Antennas and Switched-Beam Arrays for Future 5G Millimeter-Wave Communication Systems,” in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 65, no. 12, pp. 6453-6473, Dec. 2017.
doi: 10.1109/TAP.2017.2767821
