Reconfigurable Graphene Circular Polarization Reflectarray/Transmitarray Antenna

Abstract

Abstract Reconfigurable reflectarray/transmitarray antennas have found broad applications in wireless communication due to their low cost, small size, flexible design, and superior performance. However, one common drawback of most current designs is the complex reconfiguration operation, which restricts their further applications. In this research, a new design strategy for reconfigurable reflectarray/transmitarray antennas is proposed and shown. Specifically, a circularly polarized $11 \times 11$ unit-cell graphene-based reflectarray/transmitarray antenna covering an area of $1.1 \times 1.1$ mm2 is designed, with a graphene-based frequency selective surface (FSS) as a ground. By adjusting the electric field, a dynamic change in the complex conductivity of graphene is achieved, which in turn changes the phase and the resonance point of the reflected or transmitted wave at the element. By tuning the size of the patch and changing the chemical potential of graphene, the element of the reflectarray/transmitarray operated at 1 THz can provide a dynamic phase range of more than ${360^ \circ }$. The simulation results show that the designed antenna can be dynamically reconfigured between the circularly polarized reflectarray/transmitarray antenna of the single structure, and has potential applications in emerging terahertz communication systems.