LIGHTWEIGHT, LOW PROFILE PHASED ARRAY ANTENNA WITH ELECTROMAGNETICALLY COUPLED INTEGRATED SUBARRAYS

摘要

A lightweight, low profile phased array antenna 10 is disclosed which includes an electromagnetically coupled integrated subarray in a multilayer structure with no vertical electrical connections and no phase shifters. The integrated subarray includes a first layer 11 having an array of patches 20 of electrically conductive material. A second layer 15, is provided, in parallel registration with the first layer 11, which includes an array of resonators 22, each resonator 22 being electromagnetically coupled to a corresponding patch 20 in the first layer 11. A third layer 19 is provided which is in parallel registration with the second layer 15. Electromagnetic couplers 24 and 34 in the second and third layers 15 and 19 couple energy received by resonators 22 in the second layer 15, to processing circuitry in the third layer 19. The antenna of the present invention is adapted for transmit and receive modes of operation.