High Gain and Wideband Fabry-Perot Resonator Antenna Based on a Compact Single PRS Layer

Abstract

In this paper, a wideband and high gain Fabry Perot Resonator Antenna (FPRA) is proposed. It is based on a synthesized compact single partially reflective surface (PRS) layer acting as a superstrate to a slot-coupled feed antenna, which acts as a radiating source element for the proposed design. The PRS is based on a 2-D printed unit cell, where the lower part is a simple circular ring Frequency Selective Surface (FSS), incorporated with a synthesized FSS unit cell, using an automated system through a VBA based interface established between CST Microwave studio and Matlab, and optimized using a binary genetic algorithm. This new FSS layer acts as the upper part of the proposed PRS layer and provided a positive phase gradient. It almost perfectly resembles that of the optimum PRS over the desired frequency range, with a relatively high reflection magnitude, which makes it a promising superstrate candidate for wideband and high gain FP resonator antennas. The fabricated prototype achieved an important performance in terms of impedance bandwidth with 42%, ranging from 11.32 to 17.35 GHz. In addition, the 3-dB gain bandwidth is 36 % from 11.68 to 16.78 GHz, with a maximum peak gain of 14.72 dB achieved at 16 GHz. Consistent and almost invariant radiation patterns are achieved over the Ku-band frequency band of interest. The experimental and simulated results are in good agreement, justifying the feasibility of the proposed design as a high gain and wideband FP resonator antenna.