Phased Array Combined with 3D-Printed Dielectric Lens for Millimeter Wave Fixed Wireless Access

In order to provide an energy-efficient link for 5G millimeter-wave Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), a planar dielectric multifocal lens antenna architecture is investigated. A scan range of <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\pm 30^{\circ}$</tex> is targeted to ensure better angle-of-arrival correction. In addition, modulation of the radiating elements is explored to improve scanning resolution and reduce spillover loss for a planar lens solution coupled to a small antenna array. These elements are first evaluated using a semi-analytical approximation, paving the way for future rapid optimization. Preliminary numerical and experimental evaluations demonstrate that the approximation is sufficiently precise and the lens-based phased array concept is flexible and advantageous in terms of energy efficiency compared to the conventional phased array approach.