Broadband, lightweight, low profile passive phased array

The FIRST RF design combines cutting-edge technology in broadband phased array elements and high impedance metamaterials to produce a lightweight, low profile antenna array covering UHF through C-band frequencies. The array architecture minimizes the variation in gain and beamwidth over a nearly 20:1 bandwidth using a straightforward aperture architecture that avoids complex frequency-dependent excitation schemes. Wide scan volume is supported at all frequencies without grating lobes. Conventional broadband arrays use absorbing cavities to achieve a low profile and wide bandwidth, but at the cost of sacrificing antenna efficiency. The FIRST RF approach achieves efficient low frequency performance in a low profile using exciting emerging technologies in manufacturable, lightweight RF metamaterials. The techniques shrink the depth of the antenna to a small fraction of a wavelength while simultaneously mitigating interaction with the host platform and maintaining maximum efficiency. The phase 1 effort will demonstrate the critical antenna element and metamaterial technologies in small subarrays, with larger array demonstration planned for phase II.