Angular Resolution Improvement of Infrared Phased-Array Antennas

Measured and simulated angular response patterns at 10.6 μm demonstrate considerable improvement in angular resolution with a four-element phased-array antenna versus that of a two-element array. Due to propagation loss in the transmission line that connects the antenna elements, further resolution improvement is minimal with a six-element phased array. Additional measurements of a two-element array with increased metal thickness indicate that further improvement in angular resolution is possible by reducing propagation loss in the transmission line. With the combination of additional antenna elements and reduced propagation loss, substantial improvement in the angular resolution of off-broadside performance is also observed. All devices use a metal-oxide-metal tunnel diode as the detector element.