Voltage controlled ferroelectric lens phased array

摘要

A device for scanning in a scanning axis includes a periodic array of conductive plates disposed along the scanning axis. The device has a periodic array of ferroelectric material slabs disposed along the scanning axis, each slab being disposed between a pair of adjacent conductive plates, adjacent slabs being separated by one of conductive plates. Each of the slabs has a receiving face and a radiating face substantially parallel to each other. Input transmission means feed an input electromagnetic signal to the periodic array of slabs in a propagation direction so that the input electromagnetic signal is incident on the receiving faces of the slabs and so that the electrical component of the input electromagnetic signal received at each receiving face has a component parallel to the scanning axis. Output transmission means for transmitting an output signal from the slabs responsive to the electromagnetic signal transmitted from each receiving face in the corresponding slab and received at the corresponding radiating face. The device includes a plurality of means for selectively applying a voltage across each of pairs of conductive plates disposed about a slab so as to selectively control the phase of the electromagnetic signal received at each of the radiating faces having been transmitted from the receiving face in the corresponding slab.