Abstract

The effect of a secondary element spider support structure on optical antenna transmitter gain is analyzed. An expression describing the influence of the struts on the axial gain, in both the near and far fields, is derived as a function of the number of struts and their width. It is found that, for typical systems, the struts degrade the on-axis gain by less than 0.4 dB, and the first side-lobe level is not increased significantly. Contour plots have also been included to show the symmetry of the far-field distributions for three and four support members.

© 1976 Optical Society of America

Optical Antenna Gain. 1: Transmitting Antennas

Bernard J. Klein and John J. Degnan
Appl. Opt. 13(9) 2134-2141 (1974)

Optical Antenna Gain. 2: Receiving Antennas

John J. Degnan and Bernard J. Klein
Appl. Opt. 13(10) 2397-2401 (1974)

Intensity and encircled energy for circular pupils obscured by strut supported central obscurations

Louis M. Beyer and Lavern C. Clune
Appl. Opt. 27(24) 5067-5071 (1988)

Fraunhofer diffraction patterns from uniformly illuminated square output apertures with noncentered square obscurations

George W. Sutton, Melvin M. Weiner, and Siva A. Mani
Appl. Opt. 15(9) 2228-2232 (1976)

Cassegrain telescopes: limits of secondary movement in secondary focusing

Roger N. Clark
Appl. Opt. 15(5) 1266-1269 (1976)