Dielectric Resonator Antenna Reflectarrays Mounted on or Embedded in Conformal Surfaces

Abstract

Abstract-In this paper, reflectarrays mounted on or embedded in cylindrical and spherical surfaces are designed, analyzed, and simulated at 11.5 GHz for satellite applications. A unit cell consists of a square dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) mounted on or embedded in metallic conformal ground plane is investigated. The radiation characteristics of the designed reflectarrays are investigated and compared with that of planar reflectarray. A 13×13 planar reflectarray antenna on the x-y plane was designed. By varying the length of the DRA element between 2 mm and 6.2 mm a full range from 0 • to 360 • phase shift can be obtained. The size of each element is equivalent to a compensation phase shift. A maximum directivity of 24.3 dB was achieved while the side lobes were below −12.94 dB in E-plane and −15.79 dB in the H-plane for planar reflectarray. A Full-wave analysis using the finite integration technique (FIT) is applied. The results are validated by comparing with that calculated by transmission line method (TLM).

Modeling of Dielectric Resonator Antennas using Numerical Methods Applied to EPR

“…The FEM has again been combined with finite integral method (FIT) for analyzing a novel "C"-shaped DRA [74] as well for reducing the mutual coupling between two identical cylindrical DRAs [75] mounted on a conducting hollow circular cylindrical structure in E-plane and H-plane coupling, respectively. A reflectarray mounted on or embedded in cylindrical and spherical surfaces has been analyzed using finite integration method and transmission line method at 11.5 GHz for satellite applications [76]. Again Dhouib et al [77] have reported the analysis of aperture-coupled and microstrip proximity coupled DRAs using transmission line method.…”

Performance Comparison of Stepped and Smooth Dielectric Lens-Loaded Flat Reflectors

“…where t d is the dielectric thickness; Z c , β, and Z s are the characteristic impedance, propagation constant, and surface impedance, respectively, and are calculated using Eqs. (6), (7), and (10) in [8], respectively. The reflection phase of the proposed unit cell is calculated using Eq.…”

“…Although this antenna is thinner than the above-mentioned antennas, the techniques make further reduction possible without affecting the performance. A variable-length dielectric-loaded planar reflector and a non-uniform dielectric thickness-profiled reflectarray are reported in [7,8], respectively. In [9], a reflector antenna loaded with a variable-thickness lens is reported for THz applications.…”

“…The unit cell element is then designed and analysed by varying its geometrical parameter, to reflect the incident field with an appropriate phase such that a planar phase front is exhibited at the aperture [10]. Interpolation of the above-mentioned two steps leads to the realization of a reflectarray, which is discussed later in this paper [7][8][9][10]. By considering this study, a reduction in dielectric thickness is achieved compared to the SMLR [6], which in turn minimizes the dielectric losses and cost.…”

Frequency tunable graphene metamaterial reflectarray for terahertz applications

“…Reflectarrays have a wide variety of applications in radar systems, radio astronomy observations and satellite communications [20]. Tunable electromagnetic materials can be used as part of the construction of the reflectarray elements, enabling reflectarray to become powerful beam‐forming platforms that combine the best features of aperture antennas and phased arrays [21–23]. Conventional reflectarray antennas consist of about half wavelength unit‐cell elements; however, metamaterial reflectarrays use unit‐cell elements very small compared with the operating wavelength [24–25].…”