A low sidelobe asymmetric beam antenna for high altitude platform communications

Abstract

In a communications network served by a high altitude platform, the antenna beams illuminating each cell require minimized sidelobe powers. Asymmetric beams are advantageous so that cell footprints remain circular. At millimeter wavelengths a lens antenna can have the desired properties. We have chosen a 6 km diameter cell at 32/spl deg/ elevation angle and shown how the required beam asymmetry can be implemented using an optimized polynomial for describing the lens profile. The measured average sidelobe level is below -42 dB.