Broadband wide-angle terahertz antenna based on the application of transformation optics to a Luneburg lens

Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 4;11(1):5230. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-84849-8.

Abstract

The design of antennas for terahertz systems remains a significant challenge. These antennas must provide very high gain to overcome significant free-space path loss, which limits their ability to broadcast or receive a beam over a wide angular range. To circumvent this limitation, here we describe a new device concept, based on the application of quasi-conformal transformation optics to the traditional Luneburg lens. This device offers the possibility for wide-angle beam steering and beam reception over a broad bandwidth, scalable to any frequency band in the THz range.