RF & Microwave
Inkbit Demonstrates Luneburg Lenses Operating up to 100 GHz
Mar 12, 2026
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PRESS RELEASE
Vision-Controlled Jetting (VCJ™) with Low-Loss Cyclic Olefin Thermosets (COT) Enable High-Gain, Wideband GRIN Antennas at Production Scale
Medford, MA — March 12, 2026 — Inkbit, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Delaware, has demonstrated the fabrication and validation of electrically large Luneburg lens antennas operating up to 100 GHz using its Vision-Controlled Jetting (VCJ™) technology in conjunction with its newly developed material, a low-loss Cyclic Olefin Thermoset (COT).
Published in Optical Engineering (an SPIE journal), the study titled “Fabrication and analysis of electrically large Luneburg lenses using vision-controlled material jetting” documents the successful design, production, and characterization of wideband gradient-index (GRIN) antennas with apertures exceeding 30 wavelengths and realized gains surpassing 34 dBi.
“This research effort is the perfect example of a productive collaboration between academia and industry. Inkbit’s advanced 3D printing platform, combined with its low-loss RF materials, provides an ideal tool for the fabrication of complex electromagnetic components such as Luneburg lenses. We look forward to assisting in the further advancement of this technology and exploring the full extent of its capabilities.” – Prof. Mark Mirotznik, Associate Director for Digital Design and Additive Manufacturing at the University of Delaware.
“It is wonderful to see what Prof. Mirotznik has been able to achieve using Inkbit’s capabilities. These lenses are the culmination of multiple innovations across hardware, software and materials. Inkbit’s VCJ process provides the chemical and geometric freedom, as well as the accuracy, precision, and scalability to print advanced dielectric components at scale. Additionally, our software makes it trivial to handle these complex latticed structures. Our COT material has the lowest loss of any additively manufacturable resin, in addition to best-in-class thermomechanical performance. What is deeply exciting is that this is just the beginning. We are working on numerous projects of increasing complexity and scope. We look forward to expanding our partnerships and help industry leaders bring to reality what they did not think possible.” – Davide Marini, Inkbit CEO.
From Research to Production Reality
Historically, gradient-index (GRIN) lens performance has been limited by manufacturing constraints, such as the need to use discrete dielectric shells, material loss, limited permittivity control, and scalability challenges. Additive manufacturing has addressed some of these constraints, but most additively manufactured lenses to date have remained electrically small or bandwidth constrained.
Using Inkbit’s Vision-Controlled Jetting (VCJ™) and ITS novel Cyclic Olefin Thermoset (COT) resin engineered specifically for low dielectric loss, it is now possible to fabricate lenses with:
Operation up to 100 GHz
Aperture diameters exceeding 30λ
Realized gains above 34 dBi
Loss tangents as low as 0.0018 at 100 GHz
These capabilities are useful for passive beam forming and shaping at frequencies between 10 – 100 GHz. Additionally, GRIN lenses are lightweight and require no additional power.
Why This Matters for the RF and mmWave Industies
Electrically large Luneburg lenses enable:
High-directivity passive beamforming
Wide angular coverage
Low sidelobe levels
Broadband operation
These characteristics are critical for next-generation mmWave systems. Key applications include drones, battlefield communication, telecommunication, data interconnects in AI data centers, satellite ground stations, phased-array radar augmentation, microwave-transparent tooling and fixtures, and automotive and industrial sensing.
About Inkbit
Inkbit is deploying next-generation digital manufacturing through its Vision-Controlled Jetting (VCJ™) technology, uniting advanced materials science, real-time computer vision, and precision deposition into a production platform. Its Cyclic Olefin Thermoset (COT) chemistry unlocks high-frequency RF, structural, and chemically resilient applications previously out of reach for additive manufacturing.
Media & Technicalities Contacts
Media inquiries contact Jeff Enslow jenslow@inkbit3d.com Technical inquiries contact Scott Twiddy stwiddy@inkbit3d.com
Publication Information
The authors of the publication were Colin Bonner, Zachary Nelson, Desai Chen, Liam Schwartz, Scott Twiddy, Batuhan Alasahin, Michael Richards, and Mark Mirotznik. The publication can be found here.
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