Abstract: Antennas having a multi-beam (e.g., dual beam, etc.) launcher and methods for using the same are described. In some embodiments, the antenna comprises: an array of antenna elements; two parallel plate waveguides coupled to the array of antenna elements, the two parallel plate waveguides sharing a common radial plane and arranged in a stacked configuration; and a dual feed launcher to launch first and second TEM waves into the two parallel plate waveguides, the first and second TEM waves being different and being simultaneously launched in the two parallel plate waveguides.

Abstract: Antennas such as flat panel, leaky wave antennas with directional coupler feeds and waveguides are disclosed. In one example, an antenna includes a surface having antenna elements, a guided wave transmission line, and a coupling surface. The guided wave transmission line provides a guided feed wave. The coupling surface is between and separates the guided wave transmission line and the surface having antenna elements. The coupling surface controls coupling of the guided feed wave to the antenna elements. The coupling surface can also spatially filter the guided feed wave to provide a more uniform power density for the antenna elements. The guided feed wave can be a high power density electromagnetic wave or a density radially decaying electromagnetic wave.

Abstract: Antennas and methods for using the same are described. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises an aperture having a plurality of radio-frequency (RF) radiating antenna elements, the plurality of RF radiating antenna elements being grouped into three or more sets of RF radiating antenna elements, with each set being separately controlled to generate a beam at a frequency band in a first mode.

Abstract: A unit cell can be used for a metasurface, metamaterial, or beamforming antenna. The unit cell includes a metal layer attached to a substrate. The metal layer defines an iris opening for the unit cell. One or more tunable capacitance devices are positioned within or across the iris opening. Each tunable capacitance device is to tune resonance frequency of the unit cell. Mass transfer technologies or self-assembly processes may be used to position the tunable capacitance devices.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for impedance matching for an antenna aperture are described. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises an antenna aperture having at least one array of antenna elements operable to radiate radio frequency (RF) energy and an integrated composite stack structure coupled to the antenna aperture. The integrated composite stack structure includes a wide angle impedance matching network to provide impedance matching between the antenna aperture and free space and also puts dipole loading on antenna elements.

Abstract: An antenna and method for using the same having a hybrid feed approach. In some embodiments, the metasurface antenna with dual beam capabilities is feed with feed waves from a center-fed waveguide structure and an edge-fed waveguide structure. In some embodiments, the antenna comprises an array of radio-frequency (RF) radiating antenna elements and operable to generate two beams simultaneously in response to interacting with two propagating waves at a same time; and a feed structure coupled to feed the two waves to the array of RF radiating antenna elements, the feed structure having a first waveguide beneath the RF radiating antenna elements in which the two waves propagate in opposite directions.

Abstract: Antennas having iris and/or cell rotation and/or with frequency compensation in solid state device (e.g., diode) designs and methods of using the same are described. In some embodiments, the antenna comprises: an antenna aperture having a plurality of RF radiating antenna elements that each include an iris and a solid state device coupled across the iris, wherein the plurality of antenna elements are located in rings with orientation of each of the irises of the antenna elements in at least a portion of each ring rotated with respect to adjacent irises in the portion of each ring while orientation of corresponding solid state devices is uniform; and a controller coupled to control the array of RF radiating antenna elements to tune RF radiating antenna elements to generate one or more beams using the plurality of RF radiating antenna elements.

Abstract: Antennas with integrated varactor circuits are described. The antenna may comprise metasurface antennas. In some embodiments, an antenna comprises an array of antenna elements, wherein each antenna element comprises a iris and a varactor diode integrated on an integrated circuit (IC) chip coupled across a portion of the iris. The antenna can also comprise a plurality of transistors, each transistor coupled to a distinct one of the varactor diodes in the array of antenna elements to provide a tuning voltage to the one varactor diode.

Abstract: A beam splitting hand off systems architecture and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises: generating a first beam with a single electronically steered flat-panel antenna to track a first satellite; generating a second beam with the single electronically steered flat-panel antenna to track a second satellite simultaneously while generating the first beam to track the first satellite; and handing off traffic from the first satellite to the second satellite.

Abstract: A non-circular center-fed antenna and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises: a non-circular antenna aperture with radio-frequency (RF) radiating antenna elements; and a non-radially symmetric directional coupler to supply a RF feed wave to the aperture at a central location within the antenna aperture to enable the feed wave to propagate outward from the central location to an edge of the aperture.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for impedance matching for an antenna aperture are described. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises an antenna aperture having at least one array of antenna elements operable to radiate radio frequency (RF) energy and an integrated composite stack structure coupled to the antenna aperture. The integrated composite stack structure includes a wide angle impedance matching network to provide impedance matching between the antenna aperture and free space and also puts dipole loading on antenna elements.

Abstract: A non-circular center-fed antenna and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises: a non-circular antenna aperture with radio-frequency (RF) radiating antenna elements; and a non-radially symmetric directional coupler to supply a RF feed wave to the aperture at a central location within the antenna aperture to enable the feed wave to propagate outward from the central location to an edge of the aperture.

Abstract: A multibeam antenna and method of using the same are described. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises an aperture having a plurality of radio-frequency (RF) radiating antenna elements. The RF radiating antenna elements generate a plurality of beams simultaneously in different directions in response to a first modulation pattern for holographic beamforming applied to the plurality of RF radiating antenna elements to establish all beams of the plurality of beams such that antenna elements of the plurality of RF radiating antenna elements contribute to all beams in the plurality of beams concurrently. The antenna also includes a controller coupled to the aperture to generate the first modulation pattern.

Abstract: A beam splitting hand off systems architecture and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises: generating a first beam with a single electronically steered flat-panel antenna to track a first satellite; generating a second beam with the single electronically steered flat-panel antenna to track a second satellite simultaneously while generating the first beam to track the first satellite; and handing off traffic from the first satellite to the second satellite.

Abstract: A single-layer Wide Angle Impedance Matching (WAIM) and method for using the same are described. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises: an aperture having a plurality of antenna elements operable to radiating radio-frequency (RF) energy; and a single-layer wide angle impedance matching (WAIM) structure coupled to the aperture to provide impedance matching between the antenna aperture and free space.

Abstract: Modular antennas with high instantaneous bandwidth are described. In one embodiment, an antenna comprises a plurality of antenna modules tiled together and configured to form one metasurface antenna with an array of surface scattering metamaterial antenna elements; and a feed network comprising a plurality of feed points coupled to the plurality of antenna modules to supply the modules with a feed wave.

Abstract: Antennas and methods for using the same are described. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises an aperture having a plurality of radio-frequency (RF) radiating antenna elements, the plurality of RF radiating antenna elements being grouped into three or more sets of RF radiating antenna elements, with each set being separately controlled to generate a beam at a frequency band in a first mode.

Abstract: An antenna having a wedge plate-based waveguide with feed segmentation and a method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises an aperture having an array of radio-frequency (RF) radiating antenna elements and a segmented wedge plate radial waveguide comprises a plurality of wedge plates that form a plurality of sub-apertures, wherein each sub-aperture includes one wedge plate and a distinct subset of RF radiating antenna elements in the array, wherein each wedge plate of the plurality of wedge plates has a feed point to provide a feed wave for propagation through said each wedge plate for interaction with its distinct subset of RF radiating antenna elements in the array.

Abstract: A beam splitting hand off systems architecture and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises: generating a first beam with a single electronically steered flat-panel antenna to track a first satellite; generating a second beam with the single electronically steered flat-panel antenna to track a second satellite simultaneously while generating the first beam to track the first satellite; and handing off traffic from the first satellite to the second satellite.