3D printed helical antenna with lens

Abstract

The gain of an antenna can be enhanced through the integration of a lens, however this technique has traditionally been restricted to planar antennas due to fabrication limitations of standard manufacturing processes. Here, with a unique combination of 3D and 2D inkjet printing of dielectric and metallic inks respectively, we demonstrate a Fresnel lens that has been monolithically integrated to a non-planar antenna (helix) for the first time. Antenna measurements show that the integration of a Fresnel lens enhances the gain of a 2-turn helix by around 4.6 dB giving a peak gain of about 12.9 dBi at 8.8 GHz.