Reconfigurable Fresnel Lens Based on an Active Second-Order Bandpass Frequency-Selective Surface

Abstract

In this communication, we experimentally demonstrate a frequency- and beam-reconfigurable lens antenna based on an active second-order bandpass frequency-selective surface (FSS). The FSS lens is composed of three nonresonant metallic layers separated by two thin dielectric substrates. By integrating microwave varactors in FSS unit cells, the center frequency of this bandpass FSS can be tuned from 4.0 to 5.8 GHz by a direct-current (dc) bias voltage. Based on this wideband tunability, the phase-correction technique is used to implement a microwave Fresnel lens. The experimental results show that the proposed 1-D lens antenna can achieve frequency-reconfigurable beam steering within a 1 GHz bandwidth. With advantages of low cost and concise structure, the proposed reconfigurable lens antenna can be potentially used in a wide range of applications.