Unit IV

Reflector Antennas

Antenna Measurements
 Reflector Antennas

Reflectors are used to modify the radiation

pattern of a radiating element.
Reflectors of various shapes

Kraus: Fig. 9-1

Reflectors of various shapes (contd.)

Kraus: Fig. 9-1

 FLAT SHEET REFLECTORS
The problem of antenna at distance S from a perfectly conducting infinite plane
sheet reflector is handled by method of images.

Kraus: Fig. 9-2

Assuming no reflector losses, gain in field intensity of a λ/2 dipole at a distance S
from an infinite plane reflector is
where
R11  RL
Gf ( )  2 sin( S r cos  ) Sr  2S / 
R11  RL  R12
This gain is relative to a λ/2 antenna in free space with the same power input.
Field patterns of a λ/2 antenna from an infinite
flat sheet reflector (for RL = 0)
Gain in field intensity at a distance S
 Different regions of radiation

Kraus: Fig. 9-6 (a)

Region 1 (above or in front of sheet): In this, the radiated field is given by resultant
of direct field of dipole & reflected field from sheet.
Region 2 (above & below at sides of sheet): In this, there is only direct field from
dipole. This region is in shadow of reflected field.
Region 3 (below or behind the sheet): In this, the sheet acts as a shield, producing
a full shadow (no direct or reflected fields, only diffracted fields).
CORNER REFLECTOR

Kraus: Fig. 9-8

Square Corner reflector with driven element &
images

Kraus: Fig. 9-9 (a)

At point P at large distance D from antenna, field
intensity is,
E ( )  2kI1 [cos(Sr cos  )  cos(Sr sin  )]
I1 = current in each element
Sr = spacing of each element from corner in rad. = 2π(S/λ)
k = constant involving distance D etc.

The emf V1 at terminals at center of driven element 1 is

V1  I1Z11  I1R1L  I1Z14  I1Z12  I1Z13

or V1  I1Z11  I1R1L  I1Z14  2I1Z12 (as Z12 = Z13 )

Z11 = self-impedance of driven element 1

R1L = equivalent loss resistance of driven element
Z12 = mutual impedance of elements 1 & 2 (or 1 & 3)
Z14 = mutual impedance of elements 1 & 4
Let P be power delivered to driven element (power to
each image element is also P). Then
P
as PI R 1
2
or I1 
R
P
we have I1 
R11  R1L  R14  2R12
Substituting this value of I1 in equation of field intensity,

P
E ( )  2k [cos(S r cos  )  cos(S r sin  )]
R11  R1L  R14  2 R12
Assuming that reflector is removed, then
R14  R12  0
Field intensity at point P at large distance D from
driven λ/2 antenna with reflector removed is,
P
EHW ( )  k
R11  R1L

Gain of square corner reflector:

Gain in field intensity of a square-corner reflector
antenna over a single λ/2 antenna in free space with
same power input is
E ( )
G f ( ) 
EHW ( )
 P
2k [cos(S r cos  )  cos( S r sin  )]
R11  R1L  R14  2 R12
or Gf 
P
k
R11  R1L
Solving,
R11  R1L
Gf  2 [cos(S r cos  )  cos(S r sin  )]
R11  R1L  R14  2 R12

In above expression,

[cos(Sr cos  )  cos(Sr sin  )] is pattern factor

R11  R1L
is coupling factor
R11  R1L  R14  2R12
4-lobed pattern of corner reflector-antenna

Kraus: Fig. 9-9 (b)

Field patterns of square corner reflector

Kraus: Fig. 9-12 (a)

Field patterns of square corner reflector (contd.)

Kraus: Fig. 9-12 (b)

Field patterns of square corner reflector (contd.)

Kraus: Fig. 9-12 (c)

Square-corner (grid) reflector with bow-tie
dipole for wideband operation

Kraus: Fig. 9-14

Features
• Square-corner reflector is a simple, practical &
wideband antenna.
• It produces substantial gains (11 to 14 dBi).

Applications of square-corner reflector

• It is often used as a standard gain antenna.
• It is widely used for UHF TV reception.
The Parabola – General Properties

(a) (b) (c)

Kraus: Fig. 9-18 Parabolic Reflectors

• Thus, a property of parabolic reflector is that
all waves from an isotropic source at the focus
that are reflected from parabola arrive at a
line AA’ with equal phase.
• The “image” of the focus is the directrix, and
the reflected field along the line AA’ appears
as though it originated at the directrix as a
plane wave.
 Sources & parabolic reflectors

Kraus: Fig. 9-19

(a) A cylindrical parabola converts a cylindrical wave radiated
by an in-phase line source at the focus, into a plane wave
at the aperture.
(b) A paraboloid-of-revolution converts a spherical wave
from an isotropic source at the focus, into a uniform plane
wave at the aperture.
A comparison between Parabolic and
Corner Reflectors
Parabolic & corner reflectors are
superimposed for comparison.

A wave radiated in y direction

from F is reflected at O by corner
reflector & at O’ by parabolic reflector.
So, this wave travels a shorter distance
in corner reflector by an amount OO’.

If AF= 2λ, electrical length of OO’ is

about 180°, so a marked difference
would be expected in field patterns
of two reflectors.
Kraus: Fig. 9-20
If AF= 0.35λ, electrical length of OO’ is
about 30°, causing only slight difference
In field patterns.
 Comparison
S.No. Parabolic Reflector Corner Reflector
1. It requires a directional feed which It does not require a directional
radiates all or most of the energy feed since direct and reflected
into the parabola. waves are properly combined.
2. It has a specific focal point. It has no specific focal point.
3. For larger apertures, parabolic Practical aperture dimensions for
reflectors should be used. square-corner reflector are 1 to
2λ.
For a large parabola of many λ
aperture, a corner reflector is
used as a feed.
4. Not easy to construct. It is simple & easy to construct.
 The Paraboloidal Reflector
The surface generated by the revolution of a parabola around its
axis is called a paraboloid or parabola of revolution.

Kraus: Fig. 9-21

Parabolic reflectors with different
feeds

Kraus: Fig. 9-22

Field Distribution across the aperture
of a Parabolic Reflector

Kraus: Fig. 9-23 (a)

Patterns of large circular apertures with uniform
illumination

Kraus: Fig. 9-24

 Reflector Types (summarized)

1. Parabolic cylinder
2. Paraboloidal reflector
3. Truncated paraboloid
4. Pill box or Cheese antenna
5. Cassegrain antenna
 Parabolic Cylinder Reflector

• It is generated by moving parabolic contour parallel to itself.

• It provides a rectangular mouth & has line source instead of
point source.
• It may be fed by collinear array of dipoles, a broadside array
of slots or by a thin pillbox antenna.
• It generates a fan beam required in search radars.
 Paraboloidal Reflector

• It has a 3-dimensional curved surface generated by rotating

a parabola about its own axis.
• It is fed by a point source, like a waveguide horn.
• It generates a pencil beam required in tracking radars & in
point-to-point communication.
• It is the conventional & most commonly used reflector
known by names such as parabolic dish, dish reflector,
microwave dish or dish antenna.
 Truncated Paraboloid

• It is an unsymmetrical section cut from a parabolic

surface.
• It is used to generate fan beams in azimuth or
elevation .
 Pill Box or Cheese Antenna

• It is a cylinder that is short in axial direction & has

conducting end plates.
• It can be fed by a probe or by extending the inner
conductor of a coaxial cable to the space between plates. It
can also be fed by a waveguide horn or by a waveguide
itself.
• It is used to generate a fan beam.
• A cheese antenna is a combination of pillbox & parabol
Cassegrain Antenna
 Features of Cassegrain Antenna
• It is widely used in telescope design.
• It permits reduction in axial dimensions of antenna.
• Permits greater flexibility in design of feed system &
eliminates need for long transmission lines.
• Larger the sub-reflector, larger the aperture blocking
and vice-versa. A compromise in size & distance of
sub-reflector is to be made.
• To reduce aperture blocking, sub-reflector can be
made of horizontal grating of wires. Such a sub-
reflector is called a transreflector.
Fig. Cassegrain Antenna
Feed methods for Parabolic Reflectors
Parabolic reflectors may be fed by
1. Dipoles
2. Dipoles with parasitic reflectors
3. Open-ended waveguide
4. Waveguide horns

1. Dipoles
• A dipole placed at focus of parabolic reflector can
illuminate the aperture.
2. Dipoles with parasitic reflectors
• The parasitic reflectors can be: another dipole, a
plane sheet, half cylinder or a hemisphere.
Disadvantages
• Part of radiation is perpendicular to primary pattern
causing cross polarization & hence reduction in gain.

3. Open-ended waveguide
• More energy is directed in forward direction.
• Circular paraboloid is fed by circular waveguide in
TE11 mode as TE10 mode of rectangular waveguide
does not give circular symmetry of radiation
pattern.
• Rectangular waveguide feed is good for generating
fan beam.
4. Waveguide horns
• Gives more directivity.
• Acts as a point source with large reflectors.
• The ratio f/D must be more for uniform
illumination.

Methods of feeding
• Rear feed
• Front feed
• Offset feed
Green Bank Telescope (GBT), Green Bank, West Virginia, USA

World's largest fully steerable radio telescope

Diameter: 100-meter
Center for Deep Space Communications, Yevpatoria,
Ukraine
 Largest “Dish antenna” in the world:
Radio telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Arecibo,
Puerto Rico
Diameter:
305 m (1000 ft)

Dish surface is
made of:
38,778 aluminum
panels

Mainly used for:

Radio astronomy
Radar astronomy
 Very Large Array (VLA)
near Socorro, New Mexico in USA
No. of Dish
Antennas:
27

Diameter of
each dish:
25 m (84 ft)

Mainly used
for:
Radio
astronomy
 Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA),
Chajnantor plateau, Chile

ALMA is an international partnership of Europe, North America and East Asia &
Republic of Chile.
It is the largest astronomical project in existence.
It consists of 66 radio telescopes of 12-meter (39 ft) & 7-meter (23 ft) diameter.