Planar Self-similar Antennas for Broadband Millimeter-Wave Measurements

Self-similar antennas offer extremely broadband functionality and easily scalable designs. Self-similar designs with a four-arm layout are also suited for dual polarization through excitations of opposing arms, although there has only been limited use of them for millimeter-wave detectors. These antennas have been used for measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), which encompass a wide frequency range and are now actively focusing more on polarization anisotropies. We analyze multiple planar self-similar antenna designs with simulations in high-frequency structure simulator and ongoing physical testing. They all exhibit broadband operation between 130 and 230 GHz and can couple to both linear polarizations through the previously mentioned four-arm symmetry. Simulations include each antenna design coupled to an extended hemispherical, AR-coated lenslet. From these, a basic bowtie-like arm design produced minimal polarization wobble with moderate beam efficiency, while a hybrid trapezoidal design provided high beam efficiency with small polarization wobble. Current fabrication versions of each are being tested, coupled to multichroic microwave kinetic inductance detectors. These planar self-similar antennas, when implemented in CMB and other detectors, could improve observations while simultaneously simplifying fabrication and detector layout.