Millimeter-wave dual polarized L-shaped horn antenna for wide-angle phased arrays

A new broadband dual polarized L-shaped horn antenna and associated waveguide feed structure is presented. The antenna is well suited for millimeter-wave polarimetric phased array systems requiring wide-angle scanning and ease of integration with planar circuits. A stereolithographic fabrication process is employed to obtain the complex angles and intricate features that are essential for the antenna and feed design. Dielectric material is used to fill the horn antenna and waveguide feed, which allows for the desired radiation characteristics as well as low loss transition to the microstrip circuitry. Broadband attributes are demonstrated with measured return losses of better than -10 dB from 34 to 40 GHz. The measured gain is 5.3 dB at 35 GHz, along with 19 dB cross-polarization discrimination.