Flat panel-configured electronically steerable phased array antenna having spatially distributed array of fanned dipole sub-arrays controlled by triode-configured field emission control devices

摘要

A flat panel-configured electronically steered phased array antenna includes a planar distribution of densely nested microstrip dipole sub-arrays, arranged and controlled in a manner similar to microstrip 'reflect-array' antenna elements. The resultant phase of a circularly polarized wave for a reflect-array fan-out distribution of dipole antenna elements is controlled by an associated plurality of triode-configured field emission devices. Each dipole element sub-array is plated to a resistive sub-layer on an interior surface of a flat first millimeter wave transmissive panel member of an evacuated flat panel type support structure. Mounted to a similar resistive layer on the interior surface of a second, flat panel member is a microstrip conductive layer partially overlapped around its periphery by respective fan-configured microstrip dipole antenna elements plated on the first panel member. Arranged between overlapping regions and overlapping portions of the respective dipole antenna elements are a plurality of elements, that form cathode and control gates of plural triode-configured field emission devices, the anodes of which are dipoles formed on the first plate member. These elements select a desired dipole pair within each subarray and control the current therein.