The thesis addresses research, development, and optimisation of singleband and dualband monopulse feeds suitable as prime-focus illuminations for deep symmetric parabolic single-mirror antennas. The feeds are primarily meant for satellite communications, specifically in ground stations that benefit from fast and highly-accurate antenna pointing. Singleband design is applied to a right-hand circularly polarised transmission in the 2GHz band while the dualband design adds the 8GHz band. Multimode feeds consist of a circular cavity, an elliptic patch as a radiating element for the communication channel and a monopole for monopulse tracking referenced to the communication channel. A thesis introduction is followed by an overview of antenna spatial tracking and pointing techniques, focusing on monopulse tracking. Furthermore, problems when illuminating a deep (symmetric) parabolic mirror with a prime-focus feed are presented. Illumination analysis contains separate losses (efficiencies) forming the final illumination efficiency and total mirror antenna efficiency, as well as an estimation of antenna gain-to-noise-temperature ratio G/T in a typical satellite communication environment. The analysis is focused on multimode monopulse antennas and satellite signal reception. In the experimental domain, multiple types of singleband and dualband feeds are developed and made. Design, optimisation and prototype-production procedures are described. Different basic design modifications are tested and optimised with a three-dimensional full-wave electromagnetic simulation. Useful designs of optimised feeds are presented in the dissertation and additionally simulated illuminating a small mirror 10 wavelengths in size. Optimisations are bound to mirror properties and aim for the highest G/T ratio at the desired focal-distance-to-diameter ratio f/d. After the design phase, prototypes of designed feeds are produced and measured. Results include simulated and/or measured values of scattering parameters, directivities, gains, and radiation patterns, as well as attenuation, efficiency, noise temperature and antenna gain-to-noise-temperature estimations. A final comparison of the presented designs follows in the conclusion.
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