A novel reconfigurable metasurface beam‐steerable reflector for satellite communication which covers the entire Ku‐band, and supports 300 MHz bandwidth, is suggested in this work. The reflector is based on a new type of electromagnetic bandgap. Varactor diodes are used to change each unit cell capacitance of the metasurface reflector allowing phase spatial control of the reflected beam. This approach is known in the literature and is presented in many sub 6 GHz reflector studies and very few in X‐band. For higher frequencies such as Ku‐band, the size of the unit cell should be reduced. Thus, the dimensions of the varactor diode are no longer negligible relative to the metasurface unit cell dimensions, causing significant absorbance and scattering. Elimination of that absorbance and scattering can be achieved if the varactor diode is located on the back side of the suggested reflector, without deviating from the lumped element model approximation, thus enabling low‐cost voltage‐controlled reflector surface for Ku‐band. Manufacturing considerations for the new suggested wide dynamic stirring range Ku‐band reflector are given. Furthermore, the simulation results show wide bandwidth support and good performances for normal and off‐normal incident radiation to the reflector surface.

The realization and validation of a new reconfigurable metasurface high‐resolution steering reflector for K‐band are presented. The continuous tuning is achieved by integrating a varactor diode with each metasurface unit cell. This approach is shown in many studies, but not above Ku‐band, because of implementation difficulties. This letter presents design considerations, reflection simulations, and reflection measurements of a new resonant unit cell at K‐band, used for reconfigurable metasurface steering reflector. The reflection steering method and the reflection phase calibration are presented. Finally, the experimental far‐field results are provided to validate the continuous beam‐steering reflector performances in various frequencies at K‐band, with large‐angle steering, high resolution, and wide‐incident‐angular‐range abilities.

A tunable reflector component based on metasurface (MS) with a low profile and reduced mass is offered for indoor and outdoor 5G communication methods to overcome obstacles such as buildings, walls, and turns, and to allow wireless quasi-line of sight path communication at 37 GHz. Integrating varactors with MS unit cells allows tunability and reconfigurability. This approach was presented in many studies, with frequencies of up to K–band. However, today, higher frequencies are used, especially in communication. This work presents the design of a reconfigurable MS reflector, at Ka-band frequencies, based on a new type of resonant unit cell, with uniformed reflection for wide-incident-angular-range, and a simple stimulating DC bias for each MS unit cell, which allows a two–dimensional (2-D) continuous reflection phase manipulation. The unit cell provides a dynamic reflection phase range of over 300° at a wide bandwidth. Simulations of one-dimensional (1-D) and (2-D) at 37 GHz are presented. A steering range of up to ±48° was obtained for azimuth or elevation. A simultaneous independent 2-D beam steering range of up to ±10° in azimuth and up to ± 5° in elevation, allowing obstacles to overcome covering at a practical angular spatial cone of 20° and 10°, is presented.

A continuously reconfigurable metasurface reflector based on unit cell mushroom geometry that was integrated with a varactor diode is presented in this paper. The unit cell of the metasurface was designed and optimized to operate in the X-band and Ku-band, improving satellite communication’s quality of service. The losses mechanisms of continuous control over the unit cell phase reflection in beam steering resolution are considered and the analysis results are presented. The unit cell design parameters were analyzed with an emphasis on losses and dynamic reflection phase range. The unit cell magnitude and phase reflection are shown in the wide frequency bandwidth and showed a good agreement between all the measurements and the simulations. This metasurface enabled a high dynamic range in the unit cell resonant frequency range from 7.8 to 15 GHz. In addition, the reflection phase and absorption calibration are demonstrated for multiple operating frequencies, namely, 11 GHz, 12 GHz, and 13.5 GHz. Furthermore, design trade-offs and manufacturing limitations were considered. Finally, a beam-steering simulation using the designed metasurface is shown and discussed.

In this study, a new concept for a Ka-band 5G communication tunable reflector metasurface (MS) for beam steering at 28 GHz is proposed. Varactor diodes are used as the tunability component of each unit cell of this MS. Significant improvements in beam steering and bandwidth performance were achieved using this new concept referred to as the stripes configuration. Several different geometries of unit cells arranged in stripes were designed to achieve better performance in directionality, gain, sidelobe level (SLL), and bandwidth in the stripes configuration. Simulation results for a three-stripe MS with different unit cells in each stripe showed better performance in the phase dynamic range and reduced reflectance losses compared to a typical one-stripe MS. The simulation results showed a significant improvement of 3 dB, depending on the steering angle in reflectance gain, compared to a uniform MS (one stripe). Furthermore, a significant improvement of approximately 50% in the accuracy of the steering angle for different operating frequencies was demonstrated. Manufacturing considerations are discussed in this study.