Broadband single-layer reflectarray antenna loaded with meander-delay-lines for X-band applications

Abstract

In this work, delay-lines loaded broadband reflectarray antenna is proposed for X-band applications. The array cells contain slotted square patch and quad meander delay-lines. The slotted square patch elements are combined with delay-lines to increase the reflection phase range. A smooth linear phase variation of 650° is realized through varying the length of delay-lines. The reflectarray unit element resonant behavior is observed through an equivalent circuit model approach. The reflectarray antenna is simulated and measured on a low-cost FR-4 substrate. A 23 × 23 elements reflectarray antenna is designed and simulated using a hybrid finite element boundary integral (FEBI) method. The proposed reflectarray antenna offers a measured gain of 25 dBi and 52.8% aperture efficiency for 10 GHz frequency band. The cross-polarization levels and side-lobe-levels and in E and H-plane are less than −35 dB and −22 dB respectively. Moreover, a measured 3-dB gain bandwidth of 29% and 1-dB gain of 19.5% is realized for the proposed reflectarray antenna.