Realization of modified Luneburg lens antenna using quasi-conformal transformation optics and additive manufacturing

We demonstrate a new method for realizing modified Luneburg lens antennas with nearly continuously graded permittivity profiles in three-dimensions. The method used a quasi-conformal transformation optics (QCTO) approach to modify the geometry and permittivity of a spherical Luneburg lens to have a flat surface for convenient integration of antenna feeds. The modified lens was then fabricated using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printing with an effective media approach that employs space-filling curves. The method was validated by designing and fabricating a modified Luneburg lens antenna designed to operate in the Ka-band. The antenna performance of the sample was measured experimentally and shown to compare well to predicted results using full wave simulations. The device was able to achieve a reasonably high degree of beam steering (ie, -55 degrees to +55 degrees) over the entire Ka-band. We believe this new approach provides a cost-effective and scalable means of realizing practical passive beam steering lenses that operate over a broad range of frequencies.