DERA - Dielectric Enhanced Resonator Antenna

DERA is a research, development, and experiment program that designs, develops, and conducts proof-of-concept demonstration for novel large Dielectric Resonator Antenna (DERA) Arrays. These large Dielectric Resonator Arrays will have increased efficiency, bandwidth, power handling capability, scanning range, and reduced element-to-element coupling to satisfy radar/sensor requirements for future systems and power handling capability are crucial due to the modern advancements in GaN technology that will deliver extremely high RF power levels to antenna elements. The increased bandwidth and scanning range are instrumental in developing high performance, wide coverage radar systems with accurate range resolution. The DERA elements are essentially lossless and have high radiation efficiency when appropriately excited, as compared to current microstrip antennas. DERA research objectives are: 1) identify optimum DERA element shapes for use in large arrays; 2) model, construct and verify large array performance characteristics including bandwidth, efficiency, coupling, power handling capability and scanning range; 3) Demonstrate and measure a DERA array performance in a radar test bed.