Polarization rotation technique for use with two dimensional TEM mode lenses

Claim 1

A lens-antenna for transmitting and receiving high-frequency electromagnetic energy polarized with the direction of polarization parallel to the plane of the lens comprising: an upper conducting plate; a lower conducting plate substantially identical to said upper plate and disposed parallel and below said upper plate, forming a focusing region between said plates; a dielectric section disposed between said upper and lower plates, said section having flat upper and lower surfaces in contiguous contact with said plates and filling a substantial portion of said focusing region; means disposed within said focusing region for propagating and accepting high-frequency electromagnetic energy from at least one selected point within said focusing region; and dipole means connected to said parallel plates for radiating and receiving high-frequency electromagnetic energy, said dipole means disposed at the periphery of said parallel plates and arranged to have the radiating sections of said dipole means lie parallel to the plane of said parallel plate lens, one pole of said dipole means connected to said upper plate and the other pole of said dipole means connected to said lower plate; whereby electromagnetic energy polarized with the direction of polarization normal to the plane of said lens is propagated by said propagating means, focused into a beam shape by said dielectric section, and rotated in polarization by 90* and radiated by said dipole means, thereby radiating electromagnetic energy polarized with the direction of polarization parallel to the plane of said lens-antenna.