Broadband RF Phased Array Design with MEEP: A 3D-Printed Open-Source RF Horn in the Multi-GHz Bandwidth

Radio-frequency (RF) antenna design traditionally proceeds in three phases. First, the design performance is modeled with expensive, proprietary software. Second, the design is built using precision metal machining or printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication. Third, the result is characterized using RF measurement tools. The process can include machine learning for optimization. We have developed an open-source alternative process that utilizes the MIT Electromagnetic Equation Propagator (MEEP) package for design and simulation, and open-source 3D printing with conductive polymer for fabrication. Using this process, we designed and fabricated a broadband RF horn antenna. The $\mathbf{E}$-plane and $\mathbf{H}$-plane radiation patterns, the VSWR, and the cross-polarization match MEEP calculations. These results indicate that our design is a linearly polarized, broadband RF horn antenna in the [5.5-6] GHz bandwidth. Though our data are limited to frequencies $\leq 6$ GHz, our MEEP calculations predict good performance above 6 GHz. Future work will include expanding the bandwidth with larger RF structures, and constructing a broadband RF phased array.