Reconfigurable Transmitarray With Near-Field Coupling to Gap Waveguide Array Antenna for Efficient 2-D Beam Steering

Abstract

A novel array antenna architecture is proposed that can enable 2D (full-space) radiation pattern control and efficient beam steering. This solution is based on a fixed-beam gap waveguide (GWG) array antenna and a reconfigurable transmitarray (TA) that are coupled in the radiative near field. An equivalent two-port network model of the coupling mechanism is presented and validated numerically. The desired TA reconfiguration capability is realized by an 8×8 array of cavity-backed patch resonator elements, where two AlGaAs PIN-diodes are integrated inside each element providing a 1-bit phase shift. The TA is implemented in an 8-layer PCB, which includes radiating elements, fixed phase-shifting inner-stripline sections, impedance matching and biasing circuitry. The combined antenna design is low-profile ( 1.7 wavelength) owing to the small separation between two arrays ( 0.5 wavelength), as opposed to conventional TAs illuminated by a focal source. The design procedure of the proposed architecture is outlined, and the measured and simulated results are shown to be in good agreement. These results demonstrate 23.5-25.2 GHz-10-dB impedance bandwidth and 23.3-25.3 GHz 3-dB gain bandwidth, a beam-steering range of ±30° and ±40° in the E-and the H-plane with the gain peak of 17.5 dBi, scan loss ≤ 3.5 dB and TA unit cell insertion loss ≤ 1.8 dB.

Quasi-Optical Beamforming Network for Millimeter-Wave Electronically Scanned Array Antennas with 1-Bit Phase Resolution

“…It is published in these proceedings and included in any archive such as IEEE Xplore under the license granted by the "Agreement Granting EurAAP Rights Related to Publication of Scholarly Work." the 1-bit parasitic mirror lobes [4], [7]. It can be considered as a phase error quasi-randomization method realizing the performance close to the phase-added method [9].…”

A 1‐bit reconfigurable metasurface antenna for ground penetrating radar application

“…In order to solve above problems, some researchers have proposed loading active devices such as PIN diode, Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems on metasurfaces. [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] The type of metasurfaces is called reconfigurable metasurfaces, in which the binary states are usually represented by two different values of phases, amplitudes or polarizations. In the last few years, some excellent works have been proposed.…”

“…A single function system cannot meet the requirement of working and causes waste resources. In order to solve above problems, some researchers have proposed loading active devices such as PIN diode, Micro‐Electro‐Mechanical‐Systems on metasurfaces 15–24 . The type of metasurfaces is called reconfigurable metasurfaces, in which the binary states are usually represented by two different values of phases, amplitudes or polarizations.…”

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“…Nonetheless, the design of fully reconfigurable dual-band CP RAs, although somewhat explored [24]- [26], has remained a challenge. The majority of recent efforts in implementing reconfigurable antenna arrays rely on PIN diodes and MEMS switches providing 1-or 2-bit phase control [19], [24], [27]- [30]. Electronically tunable designs depending on switches can have limited phase resolution, and therefore, degree of controllability.…”