Abstract
This paper highlights recent developments and challenges on beam steering characteristics of reconfigurable transmitarray antennas. It introduces the operating principle of beam forming/beam steering high gain transmitarray antennas to enable the user to opt for economical and high performance solutions. A transmitarray antenna typically consists of a source antenna and a phase transformation structure. The incident waves generated from the source antenna is tilted using the phase transformation structure in a desired direction to steer the beam. Moreover, the phase transformation structure alters the incident wavefront to a plane wavefront using phase change characteristics. In order to steer a beam to a specific desired angle, it can be divided into two methods. There is a method of applying a transmitarray with a variable transmission phase change or a method of changing the shape of the wavefront of the source antenna. This type of beam forming/beam steering high gain antenna has been mainly studied from the point of view of high efficiency, low profile, and low cost. Several solutions of transmitarray unit cells have been presented in the literature, using PIN diodes, varactors, MEMS switches, and microfluids enable electronics to realize reconfigurable characteristics of transmitarray antennas. This paper analyzes the characteristics of various beam steering high gain reconfigurable transmitarrays (RTA) and highlights the future opportunities and challenges of the structure design for transmitarray antennas. This paper also highlights the challenges and gaps in terahertz and optical frequencies related to future work due to the structure complexity and lack of components’ availability. Moreover, the challenges and limitations related to multi-bit structures and dual-band requirements are presented.
Highlights
The high gain beam steering antennas are widely used in 5G wireless mobile communications, radio frequency (RF) wireless power transmission, and satellite communications [1,2,3]
These result in a reduction in the overall phase shift accomplished by multilayers of unit cells that may have the impact of reducing the scanning range of TAs to perform beam steering with a transmitarray
This article intends to provide a quick overview to readers on recent developments and challenges on beam steering characteristics for transmitarray antennas
Summary
The high gain beam steering antennas are widely used in 5G wireless mobile communications, radio frequency (RF) wireless power transmission, and satellite communications [1,2,3]. The working principle of a transmitarray antenna uses a high transmittance and a transmission phase change characteristic of more than 360 degrees to control the wavefront of the source antenna. This type of transmitarray antenna is a high gain antenna and is beam forming, beam steering, and multi-beam [54,55,56]. It is designed as a beam control system such as PIN diodes, varactors, MEMS systems, and microfluids.
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