Flexible-Resolution, Arbitrary-Input and Tunable Rotman Lens Spectrum Decomposer (RL-SD)

TL;DR

This paper introduces an improved planar Rotman lens spectrum decomposer with enhanced resolution flexibility, arbitrary input port positioning, and tunable frequency range, achieved through innovative design modifications and calibration techniques.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel design method for RL-SD that allows for adjustable resolution, arbitrary input placement, and tunable frequency range, validated by prototypes.

Findings

Successfully demonstrated prototypes with uniform port distribution.

Achieved tunable frequency resolution through design modifications.

Validated the enhanced RL-SD through numerical and experimental results.

Abstract

We present an enhanced design -- in terms of resolution flexibility, input port position arbitrariness and frequency-range tunability -- of the planar Rotman lens spectrum decomposer (RL-SD). This enhancement is achieved by manipulating the output port locations through proper sampling of the frequency-position law of the RL-SD, inserting a calibration array compensating for frequency deviation induced by input modification and introducing port switching, respectively. A complete design procedure is provided and two enhanced RL-SD prototypes, with uniform port distribution and uniform frequency resolution, respectively, are numerically and experimentally demonstrated.