Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

Exelis Inc.

Mark David Braunstein

Robert Winsor

Peter Charles Freeland

Shane William Pixton

Robert Scott Winsor

An RF beam steering device employs a prism assembly to steer an RF beam and a compensation device to address undesirable movement of the beam steering device. The prism assembly includes a plurality of dielectric prisms each with an associated impedance matching layer. The dielectric prisms are rotated relative to each other to steer the RF beam in a desired direction and further to compensate for movement of the beam steering device itself. The prisms include a plurality of individual panels with drilled or slotted openings that are arranged to create a periodic photonic crystal structure within a defined region. This configuration effectively alters the dielectric constant over any one particular region of a panel, thereby altering the level of diffraction possible for a specified panel thickness. The openings within each stacked panel are overlapped to produce the required level of diffraction and refractive index gradient. Motors rotate the prisms relative to each other to the correct orientation for steering the RF beam in a desired manner.

Method and apparatus for steering and stabilizing radio frequency beams utilizing photonic crystal structures

An RF beam steering device according to present invention embodiments employs a prism assembly to steer an RF beam. The prism assembly includes a plurality of dielectric prisms each with an associated impedance matching layer. The dielectric prisms are rotated relative to each other to steer the RF beam. The prisms include a plurality of individual panels with drilled or slotted openings that are arranged to create a periodic photonic crystal structure within a defined region. This configuration effectively alters the dielectric constant over any one particular region of a panel, thereby altering the level of diffraction possible for a specified panel thickness. The openings within each stacked panel are overlapped to produce the required level of diffraction and refractive index gradient. Motors rotate the prisms relative to each other to the correct orientation for steering the RF beam in a desired manner.

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Centreville, VA, United States of America

Mark David Braunstein