Feasibility Study on Additive Manufacturing of Feed Horn Operating in D-Band

Area of Science:

• Additive Manufacturing
• Electromagnetics
• Antenna Design

Background:

• Low Power Bed Fusion (LPBF) is an advanced additive manufacturing technique.
• D-band frequencies (110-170 GHz) are crucial for next-generation wireless communication.
• Horn antennas are essential components in microwave and millimeter-wave systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of manufacturing D-band horn antennas using LPBF.
• To identify and analyze performance limitations, specifically cross-polarization.
• To guide improvements in the LPBF process for enhanced antenna performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of multiple D-band horn antenna prototypes via LPBF.
• Experimental testing of antenna prototypes to evaluate radiation patterns.
• Mechanical analysis of the internal channel of the fabricated antennas.

Main Results:

• Prototypes demonstrated successful co-polarization performance.
• A significant spurious cross-polarization component was observed in the radiation patterns.
• The cross-polarization issue was found to be present even in principal planes.

Conclusions:

• LPBF is a viable method for producing D-band horn antennas with good co-polarization.
• Unwanted cross-polarization necessitates further investigation and process optimization.
• Mechanical analysis of the horn's internal channel is key to resolving cross-polarization for dual-polarization applications.