Wideband single pixel feed system over 4.6-24 GHz for the Square Kilometre Array

Paper i proceeding, 2019

We present the Band B feed system over 4.6-24 GHz designed for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) reflector for radio astronomy applications. The feed is a Quad-ridge Flared Horn (QRFH) with a customized shape based on spline-defined profiles to achieve improved wideband performance. The feed system shows high aperture efficiency and sensitivity on the SKA reflector in predictions based on measured feed beam patterns. We present the feed design overview, cryogenic dewar concept and measurement of receiver noise (10-20 K) with wideband low-noise amplifiers, and full system simulation of the performance.