An electromagnetic analysis of a cylindrical homogeneous lens

Radially symmetric lenses are ideally suited for use as multiple-beam antennas. In recent years, several investigations using a geometrical optics approach have indicated that simple lens structures such as homogeneous lenses might be suitable antennas. This paper presents an electromagnetic analysis of a cylindrical homogeneous lens as well as examining in detail the effect upon performance of parameter variations such that engineering and design evaluations can be made. It is shown that a lens with a relative dielectric constant of 3.5 gives the best performance. With the use of simple matching techniques, overall performance comparable to the more complex Luneburg lens is obtained.