Directional antennas / waveguide antennas

Measurements in the radiation field require reliable waveguide antennas with low side lobe levels, high quality factor and low coupling losses. We supply high-quality standard antennas or specialist solutions for measurement technology from various suppliers, extending into the THz range.

mmWave antennas by Virginia Diodes Inc. (VDI)

VDI offers standard horn antennas for the rectangular waveguide bands ranging from WR28 (26–40GHz) to WR0.34 (2.20–3.25THz). Due to the increasingly high losses in the THz range, in many experiments and applications the length of the metallic waveguide is kept to a minimum and a transition to air transmission is achieved using a horn antenna.

mmWave directional antennas by Anteral

Our partner Anteral also provides measurement data for the individual characterisation of these antennas:

• Return loss |S11| up to a maximum of 500GHz

• Antenna directivity in the main beam direction up to a maximum of 500GHz

• Antenna radiation pattern over the solid angle up to a maximum of 500GHz

For waveguide antennas designed to transmit millimetre-wave radiation with the narrowest possible beamwidth, "high-gain" antennas with high directivity are required. This is achieved, for example, using Teflon lenses. The typical return loss at the waveguide interface for these antennas is approximately -14dB. High-gain antennas are available with linear polarisation.

If the aim is to focus the millimetre-wave beam onto the smallest possible area, focusing lens-horn antennas can be used. As with optical systems, a focal length is specified for characterisation purposes. The typical beam diameter at the beam focus is a parameter used to estimate the minimum illuminated area.

Anteral also offers this type of antenna with linear polarisation for lower frequencies, down to the WR187 waveguide band for 3.95–5.85GHz.