A lens according to the disclosure includes a dielectric having a first surface and a second surface that is spaced from the first surface and that faces the first surface in a direction of a reference axis intersecting the first surface. The dielectric has an equivalent relative dielectric constant that decreases in a direction from the reference axis toward outer circumferences of the first surface and the second surface.

The disclosed technology includes device, systems, techniques, and methods for mm-wave backscattering and energy harvesting systems utilizing a Rotman-Lens-based rectenna system. An mm-wave backscattering and energy harvesting system can include one or more antenna, a Rotman Lens having a beam port side and an antenna side in electrical communication with the one or more antenna, and a switching network in electrical communication with the beam port side of the Rotman Lens. The switching network can be configured to cause the system to operate in either a backscattering mode or an energy harvesting mode.

Compact lacunated lenses having a lens body with a plurality of input ports, (which may correspond to a predetermined steering angle), a plurality of output ports, and a plurality of holes/openings in the lens body, wherein the openings are arranged through the lens body so that an electromagnetic signal entering the lens body from any one of the input ports will exit from each of the output ports at a time delay corresponding to the predetermined steering angle of the input port from which the electromagnetic signal entered the lens body. The lenses may be used for RF signals between 2 GHz and 30 GHz for beamforming, and may have a diameter of less than 10 cm. The lenses may also be used for amplification. Methods of using these lenses and phase array antennas including these lenses are also described.

A radio frequency antenna array uses lenses and RF elements, to provide ground-based coverage for cellular communication. The antenna array can include two spherical lenses, where each spherical lens has at least two associated RF elements. Each of the RF elements associated with a given lens produces an output beam with an output area. Each lens is positioned with the other lenses in a staggered arrangement. The antenna includes a control mechanism configured to enable a user to move the RF elements along their respective tracks, and automatically phase compensate the output beams produced by the RF elements based on the relative distance between the RF elements.

An antenna system that includes a lens portion having a radiation-side curved surface and a feed-side reception surface, the lens portion structured to focus radio frequency radiations entering from the radiation-side curved surface on a focal point located at the feed reception surface and one or more antenna elements at or near the focal point, the one or more antenna elements being separated from each other by a fractional multiple of a center wavelength of a frequency band of operation, and each antenna element communicatively coupled to one or more radio frequency transmit and/or receive chain and being able to transmit and/or receive data from the radio frequency transmit chain according to a transmission scheme.

A multibeam analogue former of several two-dimensional radiofrequency beams of continuously variable sizes and/or aiming directions for a reconfigurable two-dimensional active array antenna, includes a first set of analogue multibeam formers of fixed one-dimensional beams, of identical structure, superposed and connected at the output to rows of elementary radiating feeds of a planar antenna array in a first axial direction X. The analogue multibeam former comprises a second set of second one-dimensional analogue formers of radiofrequency beams that are continuously variable in size and/or in aiming direction in second angular aiming directions By along a second axial direction Y. Each second analogue former is formed by a divider with a single input and R output branches in transmission mode, each output branch of the divider including an amplitude and phase control point. Each second analogue former of the second set is connected to at least one access column of the first set of first analogue formers, an access column being formed by R access terminals to the input channels of the same rank j of the first analogue formers.

A radar system includes a transmit front end device including a transmit planar component, and a receive front end device including a receive planar component. Each of the transmit planar component and the receive planar component includes a first end, a second end, a cavity space and a linear array of antennas. The cavity space is bounded by beam ports along a first side of the cavity space and by array ports along a second side of the cavity space. The cavity space is in operative communication with the beam ports and with the array ports to form a Rotman lens. A linear array of antennas is located along the second end of the planar component. The transmit planar component and receive planar component are arranged such that the linear array of antennas of the transmit planar component and the linear array of antennas are perpendicular to one another.

A method and apparatus for communicating RF signals is described. In one embodiment, the apparatus is evidenced by a multi-band integrated antenna assembly comprising a blade antenna having a conductive ground plane, a planar antenna array for communicating a second signal, and a signal processor. The planar antenna array transmits and receives signals using a passive Rotman lens beam former that can be utilized in environmentally challenging applications.

A radio frequency antenna array uses lenses and RF elements, to provide ground-based coverage for cellular communication. The antenna array can include two spherical lenses, where each spherical lens has at least two associated RF elements. Each of the RF elements associated with a given lens produces an output beam with an output area. Each lens is positioned with the other lenses in a staggered arrangement. The antenna includes a control mechanism configured to enable a user to move the RF elements along their respective tracks, and automatically phase compensate the output beams produced by the RF elements based on the relative distance between the RF elements.

A passive frequency multiplexer includes a beam forming network lens including a plurality of input terminals and a plurality of output terminals; a transmission line for transmitting a signal to the beam forming lens; and a plurality of couplers arranged in series along the transmission line, each of the plurality of couplers comprising an input terminal, an output terminal, and a coupled output terminal, each of the coupled output terminals of the plurality of couplers being coupled to a respective one of the input terminals of the beam forming network lens.