Comparison of FDTD Analysis and Measurement Results for 3D-Printed W-Band Reflector Fresnel Lens Antenna

The fabrication of millimeter-wave lens antennas based on three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has the advantage of low cost. Using this technology, we have developed several types of 3D-printed W-band reflector Fresnel lens antennas based on acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic filaments. However, these ABS plastic filaments, which are commonly used in 3D printers, exhibit relatively high dielectric loss. To overcome this problem, a reflector Fresnel lens antenna with a gain of more than 35 dBi has been proposed for the millimeter-wave radar applications (S. Futatsumori, 40th International Review of Progress in Applied Computational Electromagnetics, pp. 1–2, May 2024). In this study, we fabricate a 250-mm-diameter 3D-printed reflector Fresnel lens antenna designed using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and compare the FDTD-analysis results with those obtained from measurement. Initially, the design of the W-band reflector Fresnel lens antenna is discussed. Then, the difference in the FDTD analysis and measured results is presented.