Lightweight and Rugged Reflectarray Antenna for High Gain, Portable GPS

ABSTRACT: NanoSonic would design and simulate a man-portable, GNSS deployable reflectarray antenna. This design would be based on novel new HybridSil materials tailored for lightweight and stowable portable antennas. To accomplish this task, NanoSonic has created a team with a unique combination of engineers, chemists and materials scientists capable of design, simulation and fabrication of this product. In creating and simulating the design, NanoSonic would team leverage existing work and experience with custom antenna computational and COTS tools. NanoSonic would construct the antenna using HybridSil substrate layers in order to optimize antenna weight, volume and height with electromagnetic performance. These layers will be covalently bonded to ensure maximum resistance to delamination and the highest reliability. HybridSil systems have excellent thermal properties and UV durability along with dielectric tunability and low electromagnetic loss. In constructing these antennas, NanoSonic would exploit its in-house custom processing techniques and materials that include inkjet patterning and self-assembled mesh materials for lightweight, flexible, yet rugged and dimensionally stable surfaces. Preliminary antenna testing would also be performed in-house with NanoSonic equipment. The NanoSonic PI is antenna engineer with many years experience in both hardware implementation and simulation software construction. BENEFIT: The materials and devices developed and applied in this program may be used to form a variety of high performance microwave materials and devices integrated directly into lightweight polymer structural components. Such low-cost processing will allow the manufacturing of cost-competitive aerospace, electronic, optoelectronic, sensor and actuator materials, devices and integrated function structures. Conformal or free-standing, flexible RF antennas are of importance for both military and commercial applications. Additionally, these antennas would address DoD and law enforcement needs for communication and surveillance with reduced probability of detection. In commercial use, such antennas could be integrated into vehicle or building structures; NanoSonic also intends to apply these antennas as inexpensive as RFID tags.