3-D printed discrete dielectric lens antenna with matching layer

A discrete dielectric lens antenna is studied in this paper as a possible low-loss and low-cost solution for high-gain millimeter-wave (MMW) antennas. Dielectric slabs with variable heights are used as the lens elements for phase compensation. Matching layers at the interfaces between dielectric and air are added to reduce the reflection and to enhance directivity of the lens antenna. A low-cost three-dimensional (3-D) printing technology is utilized to fabricate the antenna, and both numerical and experimental results are presented for a prototype operating at 60 GHz. This study shows that the proposed design approach is a promising method of realizing high-gain MMW antennas.