Abstract: Embodiments of High-Power Millimeter-Wave Oscillators are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, the oscillator includes a polarized partial reflector to at least partially reflect back signals to a reflection array amplifier to help induce oscillation by individual sub-array amplifier elements of the reflection array amplifier. In some other embodiments, the oscillator includes a phase-graded polarization-sensitive reflection plate to at least partially reflect back signals to the reflection array amplifier to help induce an oscillation by the sub-array amplifier elements. In some embodiments, the oscillator includes a reflector and a phase-graded polarized reflection-transmission plate to at least partially pass through signals to the reflector for reflection back to the reflection array amplifier to help induce an oscillation by the sub-array amplifier elements.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a microwave source that produces a microwave feed beam, and a first pair of microwave sensors that each intercept and receive a portion of the microwave feed beam. The two microwave sensors are spaced apart from each other along a first-pair axis. A first phase-comparison device has as it inputs the output signals of the two microwave sensors, and as an output a first phase comparison of the first-sensor output signal and the second-sensor output signal. A first geometrical calculator has as an input the first phase comparison and as an output a geometrical relationship of the first-pair axis to an other feature. This geometrical relationship output may be used to generate a control signal that is used to alter the geometrical relationship. There may be additional microwave sensors operating in a similar manner but spaced to provide information for other geometrical axes or allow improvements in geometrical measurements.

Abstract: An oscillator. In the illustrative embodiment, the oscillator includes an ortho-mode feed; a reflective amplifier array adapted to be illuminated by the feed with an input wavefront with a first polarization and to return thereto an amplified wavefront with a second polarization orthogonal to the first wavefront; and a partially reflective plate disposed between the feed and the amplifier. The inventive oscillator provides a Fabry-Perot cavity between the feed and the plate. In the illustrative embodiment, the plate is a polarized plate. The plate may have surfaces with dissimilar polarizations and/or curvatures. The amplifier may be phase locked by an ortho-mode converter or other arrangement.

Abstract: An area-protection system uses an active-array antenna to generate a high-power millimeter-wave wavefront to deter an intruder within a protected area. One or more reflectors may be positioned within the protected area to help retain energy of the wavefront within the area. The area-protection system may include an intrusion-detection subsystem to detect presence of the intruder within the protected area and to generate a detection signal. The active-array antenna may generate the high-power millimeter-wave wavefront in response to the detection signal. In some embodiments, the intrusion-detection subsystem may detect the presence of a tag worn by the intruder, and may instruct the array antenna to refrain from generating the wavefront when tag is authenticated. In some embodiments, an illuminator may be used detect intruder movement based on return signals. In some embodiments, the array antenna includes semiconductor wafers arranged together on a substantially flat surface.

Abstract: A surface-heating system heats a surface with a high-power wavefront at a millimeter-wave frequency. The high-power wavefront may be a collimated wavefront or a converging or diverging wavefront. In some embodiments, the system includes a frequency generator to generate a lower-power millimeter-wave frequency signal, and an active-array antenna system to amplify the millimeter-wave frequency and generate the high-power wavefront in a direction of a surface for heating the surface. In other embodiments, a frequency generator and power amplifier may generate a high-power power millimeter-wave frequency signal, and a passive-array antenna system may provide the high-power wavefront in a direction of the surface. In some embodiments, a thermal-sensing subsystem may measure the surface temperature and generate a control signal to maintain the surface temperature within a predetermined temperature range.