Multi-Decade Photonic Band-Gap Antenna

Foster-Miller will demonstrate using new electromagnetic materials to implement an innovative miniaturized multi-decade bandwidth antenna for omni-directional broadband communication and electronic countermeasure applications. Liquid crystal polymer (LCP) will be used to make a hermetic radome and support metallization for the ground plane and radiating structure. Single crystal Al2O3 will provide a low loss, high dielectric constant substrate for the wideband antenna. In addition, photonic band gap (PBG) structure will be embedded in the structure of the Al2O3 to mitigate loss within the high electric permeability dielectric. All of the materials and manufacturing steps in this antenna are cost-effective and highly scalable. The single crystal Al2O3 will be made with an innovative process which yields net shape parts which may have arbitrary curvature. The proposed antenna element will provide a large bandwidth with a target operating range that spans 100 MHz to 20 GHz. The metallized LCP radome has a 200°C operational temperature so the antenna can function at higher power than conventional antennas. The combination of frequency agility and power handling capability of the proposed antenna element can be used to make arrays with previously unattainable performance in ground to satellite communications and jamming on the run capabilities. (P-040171)