Julia Valdeolmillos Vargas

Master thesis #1

Master thesis at Gapwaves AB: Design of a radome-integrated lens for beam widening in automotive radar applications.

Abstract: The thesis focuses on improving the performance of a waveguide slot array antenna for 77 GHz automotive radar systems, where compactness, low loss and wide field of view are key challenges. The first part addressed the reduction of coupling and ripple in the radiation pattern by integrating soft surfaces that suppressed surface currents between neighbouring elements, reducing coupling below - 40 dB and improving radiation uniformity. Several corrugation shapes were investigated to maintain low reflections. The second phase widened the antenna's field of view to 60 by incorporating a dielectric lens radome that actively shaped the beam, with matching layers to minimize reflections and provide mechanical support.