A 3D-Printed Horn Antenna with Integrated Septum and Circular-Polarized Radiation

A horn antenna with an embedded septum is proposed in this paper, based on the 3D printing technique. The horn is in terms of circular waveguides (CWGs), with a transition connecting the commercial rectangular waveguide (RWG) to the CWG throat of the conical horn antenna. To produce circular polarization (CP) in radiation, a dielectric septum is utilized for phase variation, and it is designed based on the electric property of the resin material used in the masked stereolithography (MSLA) technique. By rotating the septum at a certain angle inside the horn antenna, the phase difference between two orthogonal modes can be customized for CP. Moreover, the proposed horn antenna with the integrated dielectric septum can be printed as a whole in fabrication. For demonstration, a horn antenna with an integrated septum is designed and simulated. Simulation verifies CP radiation with low reflection. Such an integrated CP horn antenna has the advantages of minimized dimensions, lightweight, low fabrication cost, and enhanced tolerance in fabrication.