Improved Beam Steering Method Using OAM Waves

Abstract

Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) is an intrinsic feature of electromagnetic waves which has recently found many applications in several areas in radio and optics. In this paper, we use OAM wave characteristics to present a simple method for beam steering over both elevation and azimuth planes. The design overcomes some limitations of traditional steering methods, such as limited dynamic range of steering, the design complexity, bulky size of the steering structure, the limited bandwidth of operation, and low gain. Based on OAM wave characteristics, the proposed steering method avoids design complexities by adopting a simple method for generating the OAM-carrying waves. The waves are generated by an array of Planar Circular Dipole (PCD) elements. These elements are designed to cover a wide bandwidth range between 3 and 30 GHz. The transmitting array shows an enhanced gain value from 8.5 dBi to almost 11.5 dBi at the broadside angle. Besides the enhanced PCD-based OAM generation, the novelty of the design lies in a new method of beam steering. Beam steering is then performed by controlling the electrical feeding of the PCD elements; the beam azimuthal location is managed by turning off some of the PCD elements, while the elevation is determined by changing the gradient phase of excitation for the turned-on PCD elements. Detailed analysis of the steering method is carried out by finding the mathematical model of the system and the generated waves. The performance has been verified through numerical simulators.