Design of 3-D Monolithic MMW Antennas Using Ceramic Stereolithography

Abstract

Ceramic stereolithography is applied to the construction of 3-D monolithic low-loss subwavelength periodic structures. In the subwavelength regime, it is shown that the effective refractive index can be controlled throughout the structure through simple adjustments to the periodic lattice. The constraints imposed by subwavelength design and the limitations inherent in the ceramic stereolithography process are analyzed and incorporated into the design procedure for monolithic ceramic structures. To demonstrate the proposed method, a monolithic Luneberg lens is designed, fabricated, and measured. The measured results confirm the outlined design procedures and constraints