Collimating Truncated Virtual Image Lens

Published in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, this paper—co-authored by Nelson J. G. Fonseca (Anywaves)—introduces a novel collimating truncated virtual image lens, offering Luneburg-like performance with simplified manufacturing. The design combines a virtual image lens and an extended hemispherical lens, achieving wide-angle beam steering and high gain with relaxed material constraints. Validated at Ka-band, the prototype demonstrates comparable directivity and sidelobe levels to an ideal Luneburg lens, while being more practical for high-frequency satellite and radar applications. This work opens new possibilities for cost-effective, additively manufactured quasi-optical antennas in the millimeter-wave and terahertz domains.