Frequency Selective Surface Unit Cell Research Articles

An ultra‐miniaturized single‐layer multiband frequency selective surface with vent for wireless communication

SummaryA novel single‐layer ultra‐miniaturized multi‐band Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) with a circular vent is designed for shielding LTE and ISM bands. The top layer of the proposed FSS unit cell incorporates a circular patch along with convoluted arms. The designed FSS unit cell exhibits band‐rejection characteristics with a resonance of 800 MHz, 2.45 GHz, and 5 GHz and bandwidths of 523 MHz, 687 MHz, and 725 MHz, respectively. The periodicity of an ultra‐miniaturized FSS unit cell is 0.024λօ x 0.024λօ, encompassing a spatial vent hole of 0.01λօ, where λօ corresponds to the lowest operating frequency. Moreover, the proposed FSS unit cell remains unaltered angular stability up to 75° with less than 1% frequency deviation in TE and TM modes. Good polarization insensitivity for the designed four‐fold symmetrical FSS unit cell is achieved. Further, an Equivalent Circuit Model (ECM) analysis is developed to infer the physical insight of the proposed FSS unit cell. The FSS prototype is measured for the assertion, and the good agreement between the findings from simulation and measurement is validated. For real‐time assertion, the FSS prototype is verified using the Amitech SDR04. Thus, FSS is a promising candidate with good ventilation for shielding the LTE, Bluetooth, and Wi‐Fi application bands.

Design of miniaturized 2.5D frequency selective surface for X‐ and Ku‐band applications

AbstractThis paper presents the design of 2.5D frequency selective surface (FSS) for X and Ku band applications. Proposed FSS's unit cell is constructed with two independent slitted rings on both side of the FR4 substrate and is connected with metallic vias. The FSS offers a wide stop band performance from 6.26 to 18 GHz, with a fractional bandwidth of 96.7% measured at S21 < −10 dB and has a low insertion loss (IL) of 0.018 dB. The footprint of the FSS is only about 0.11 with the shielding effectiveness of 83.365 dB, and the transverse electric and transverse magnetic mode performances are stable up to 70 degrees. Prototype FSS is fabricated and measured for its performance validation. The performance validation is carried out using applied wave research and the equivalent circuit model tools.

Triple band frequency selective surface design for 5G mm‐wave communication with artificial neural networks

AbstractHigh‐performance frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) have gained attention for their spatial filtering characteristics in 5G communication systems. In this work, we propose an efficient and accurate design methodology for the FSS. Three different artificial neural network methods (ANN) are employed, and their performances are compared for analysis and synthesis purposes. Results show that GRNN has the highest performance for both training and test phase of ANN based FSS analysis and synthesis. A novel, compact, low‐profile triple band FSS unit cell is introduced, and the working mechanism is described. By applying ANN based design procedure, the unit cell dimensions to resonate at the 5G mm‐wave frequency band is extracted. A unit cell with the extracted physical dimensions is simulated with a full‐wave analysis tool. The simulation results show that the FSS has the filtering feature at the predetermined mm‐wave frequencies of the 5G communication. The prototype of the FSS is fabricated, as well. The simulations are verified experimentally with measurement results. The results show that proposed ANN based analysis and synthesis method can be an effective tool for the design of FSS band‐pass filter for 5G applications.

Optically transparent and angularly stable broad‐stopband frequency selective surface for millimeter wave electromagnetic interference mitigation

AbstractAn optically transparent and angularly stable frequency selective surface (FSS) with a broad stopband is introduced for addressing millimeter wave (mmW) electromagnetic interference. The unique FSS unit cell pattern incorporates a cross patch with Y‐shaped branches, effectively broadening the bandwidth and enhancing the angular stability. Utilizing transparent conductive indium tin oxide deposited on both sides of a glass substrate enables the FSS to reflect and absorb electromagnetic waves. Consequently, the proposed FSS exhibits an exceptionally wide stopband ranging from 18.7 to 40.2 GHz, featuring an insertion loss of 14 dB and maintaining stable angular response up to 60° for both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations. Moreover, an equivalent circuit model is developed to characterize the stopband behavior of the FSS. Finally, measurements conducted on a physical prototype of the proposed FSS validate its effectiveness, showing good agreement with the simulation results.

Ultrathin and conformal frequency selective surfaces bandpass filter to eliminate the 5G bands on radio altimeters

AbstractThis work proposes a frequency‐selective surface‐based radome structure to selectively allow the radar altimeter operating band and also minimize the interference from Sub‐6GHz 5 G frequency bands. A Jerusalem cross and combinational loop (JCL) based frequency selective surfaces (FSS) unit cell of overall dimension 0.37λ was synthesized using a thin flexible substrate for use in fuselage of airborne systems. The proposed FSS unit cell exhibits transmission zero at 3.61 and 6.025 GHz and highly selective pass band at 4.3 GHz. The effect of bends and angle of incidence on the frequency response of the synthesized FSS was studied in transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes. A lumped element‐based equivalent circuit model for the proposed design was also presented. Finally, the fabricated prototype was experimentally validated in an Anechoic chamber setup and the suitability of the proposed FSS layers for aviation radar systems was confirmed.

An ultra‐thin frequency‐selective surface with inductive loading for X‐band shielding applications

SummaryA novel band‐stop frequency‐selective surface (FSS) for X‐band electromagnetic shielding is reported in this study. The single‐layer, single‐sided FSS has frequency‐dependent conductive patterns developed on a polyimide substrate that provides strong rejection to the entire X‐band frequencies. The unit cell FSS has an octagonal loop configuration. Each side of the octagonal loop is alternatively loaded with thick conductive patches and stub lines to reject 8 − 12 GHz with |S21| ≤ −15 dB. The size of the unit cell FSS is 0.167λo × 0.1673λo where λo is the free space wavelength calculated at the center frequency. Owing to the rotational symmetry, the FSS unit cell exhibits mode‐independent characteristics. The bending characteristics of the FSS are analyzed, and the inferences show that the FSS properties remain unchanged under flat and bent cases. The ultra‐thin FSS offers stable frequency response for normal and oblique incidences up to 80°. The designed FSS is fabricated and tested under laboratory conditions to validate the simulation results.

An Angle-Stable Ultra-Wideband Single-Layer Frequency Selective Surface Absorber

An ultra-wideband polarization-insensitive frequency selective surface (FSS) absorber is proposed for S to K-band applications. The absorber comprises two compensation slabs, a lossy FSS layer and a grounded dielectric plate. The FSS unit cell is a combination of a second-order Chinese knot and a cross. To enhance the bandwidth and angular stability of the single-layer FSS absorber, a compensation layer composed of FR4 and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) slabs is incorporated. The proposed FSS absorber demonstrates a remarkable absorption rate of over 90% within the frequency range of 3.1–22.1 GHz, exhibiting a fractional bandwidth of 150.8%. Even when subjected to an oblique incidence of 45°, the absorber maintains an 80% absorption rate in the frequency range of 4.4–19.1 GHz for both TE and TM polarizations. The total thickness of the FSS absorber is 0.0848 λL (the wavelength at the lowest cutoff frequency), and only 1.08 times the Rozanov limit. To validate the design, a prototype of the proposed absorber was fabricated and measured. Good agreements were observed between the simulations and measurements.

Miniaturized frequency‐selective surface with reduced number of metallic vias for electromagnetic shielding

SummaryA miniaturized frequency‐selective surface (FSS) for radio frequency (RF) filtering applications is reported in this paper. The proposed FSS is designed to operate with band stop property at 1.57 GHz. The FSS element is developed using highly convoluted lines running on either side of the substrate interconnected using via lines. This specific arrangement increases the electrical length of the resonator without increasing the physical size. Furthermore, the stability towards polarization variation and independence to different angles of incidence are other major concerns in the design of FSS. The FSS unit cell has rotational symmetry thereby providing polarization‐independent operation. The angular independence is tested for various incidence angles, and the results are presented. The performance of the FSS is validated in real time, and the results are presented. The maximum realized transmission loss is 27 dB at 1.57 GHz, and the attenuation bandwidth with reference 10 dB shielding level is estimated to be 400 MHz centered around 1.57 GHz. The convolution technique along with shorting vias has offered this extreme miniaturization ranging from 7% to 95.7% with reference to most of the FSS reported for L‐band services such as radio, telecommunications, military, and aircraft surveillance.

CPW-fed dual-element metamaterial inspired multiband antenna using simple FSS for gain enhancement

This article presents a dual-element metamaterial-inspired co-planar waveguide (CPW) fed elliptical antenna using a simple compact frequency selective surface (FSS) for multiband wireless applications. The designed antenna is fabricated on a cheap FR-4 substrate (εr = 4.4) with 40 × 40×1.6 mm3 dimensions. Dual complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs) loaded in the CPW ground create multiband characteristics, which are analyzed using the quasi-static design equations and the ANSYS HFSS EM simulator. FSS has been proposed as a reflector for the antenna to increase its gain. The FSS unit cell's angular stability has been analyzed using transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarization, and it has been determined to be 60°. The FSS integrated antenna offers measured bandwidths of 2.67 – 3.38 GHz (23.66 %), 3.77 – 4.17 GHz (10.25%), 4.91 – 5.93 GHz (19.61 %), and 7.28 – 8.93 GHz (20.24 %). The FSS integrated antenna shows nearly omnidirectional radiation patterns in all resonating bands with the highest gain of 9.72 dBi and measured radiation efficiency greater than 91 % in all the bands. The reported 'antenna with FSS' is appropriate for multiband wireless technologies as it covers IEEE 802.16 WiMAX, n77 5G NR, 5G Wi-Fi, WLAN, ISM and satellite spectrums.

Convoluted Meander Line-Inspired Metallic Surface Filter for Bluetooth and WLAN Bands

A convoluted meander line integrated cross dipole metallic structure with a dual-bandstop feature is presented in this manuscript. The investigated frequency-selective surface (FSS) exhibits the bandstopping characteristics for the Bluetooth (2.4 GHz) and WLAN (5.5 GHz) applications with a miniaturized unit cell size of 9.7 × 9.7 mm2. The proposed design has a polarization insensitivity feature for the TE and TM polarized waves’ incidents at 0°–60° with an interval of 15° angle. The equivalent circuit model of the presented FSS unit cell is also discussed and their limped element values are presented. The FSS design has a compact size which makes it favorable for low-profile band-filtering systems and multipath EM wave’s insensitivity. The suggested FSS configuration has good correspondence with modelled and measured results.

Design of a Flexible Cylindrical Antenna with Rotatable Curved Frequency Selective Surface for Omnidirectional High-Gain Applications

In this paper, a high-gain flexible cylindrical antenna with rotatable curved frequency selective surface (FSS) is presented, which is designed for the 2.4 GHz industrial scientific medical (ISM) band. The array of 3 × 3 optimized FSS unit cells (102 × 102 mm2) is applied to improve the gain of the antenna (50.4 × 28 × 0.1 mm3). Through the rotation of the FSS, omnidirectional gain enhancement is realized. The simulation and measurement results demonstrate the feasibility of this work. The measured antenna with the FSS has omnidirectional high-gain in the operational band of 2.18–2.90 GHz, and the gain can be increased by 5.31 dBi at most. The antenna can be used in cylindrical conformal devices, and the proposed design method provides a new solution for gain enhancement of cylindrical omnidirectional antennas.

Machine Learning Empowered Magnetic Substrate Coupled Broadband and Miniaturized Frequency Selective Surface

This works offers a polarization-insensitive, wide angular stable, and wideband electromagnetic interference shielding structure using an integration of frequency selective surface (FSS) with magnetic substrates. The equivalent circuit model (ECM) together with the analytical model is derived to figure out the physics of the shielding structure. The overall inductance of the shielding structure is increased using a magnetic ferrite sheet and magnetic silicon rubber sheet as substrates. Further, four different deep neural network configurations are investigated with inverse modeling to predict the shielding structure parameters within a fraction of seconds. The mse between expected and predicted output is only 2.92 × <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10^{-8}$</tex-math></inline-formula> . The entire X-band is shielded with a minimum 10-dB shielding effectiveness (SE) and with SE of 56 dB at resonance. The FSS unit cell size is only 0.21 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda$</tex-math></inline-formula> × 0.21 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda$</tex-math></inline-formula> . Furthermore, the proposed shielding structure shows stable transmission performance up to <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$75^{\circ}$</tex-math></inline-formula> angle of incidence for both perpendicular and parallel polarization. Finally, a prototype is fabricated and measured using nondestructive free space measurement. Good agreement among the simulated, ECM, analytical model, and measured results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed technique for building an effective shielding structure.

Low-Profile FSS Design Methodology to Increase Isolation between Vehicle-Borne Multifrequency Antennas

The present work describes a new approach for the design of a Frequency-Selective Surface (FSS) in the context of frequency filters to increase isolation between two vehicle-borne antennas. A compact FSS design based on nested square meandered resonators is optimized for multifrequency operation. Furthermore, a design workflow is proposed. In general, the measurement of low-profile FSS does not correspond to simulation through Floquet modes based on periodic boundary conditions due to the lack of uniformity of mutual coupling among the FSS unit cells. The proposed method demonstrates the agreement between the infinite simulation and the measurement of the finite prototype once a convenient scale factor is applied, which facilitates the design workflow. In this case, an FSS is used as an efficient filter to increase the isolation between antennas by 6 dB in three representative bands (3GPP, WiFI I and II). In this way, multifrequency antennas can be placed at approximately half their actual distance with the same performance in spatial-constrained vehicular environments.

Novel versatile topologies and design optimization of wide-bandstop frequency selective surfaces for X-band, Ku-band and millimeter-wave applications

Novel designs of frequency selective surface (FSS) are presented for wideband applications in X, Ku and mmWave (millimeter Wave) bands. Two identical metallic layers of FSS are imprinted on both sides of the RO4003 substrate. The geometry parameters are optimized to maximize the bandstop at the specified in-band maximum transmission level of −10 dB; satisfaction of the latter condition is enforced through appropriate formulation and handling of the design constraints. The proposed structure is versatile and can be readily re-designed for various operating bands. For the sake of illustration, two instances of the FSS were developed. Design 1 exhibits broad bandstop of 9.8 GHz at the X- and Ku-bands, whereas the bandstop of Design 2 is 33.5 GHz at the mmWave band. The two FSS unit cell designs share the same base topology, but specific dimensions are adjusted to operate within the lower and the higher bands, respectively. The unit cell is symmetrical, therefore, ensures an excellent resonance stability performance with respect to different polarizations (TE and TM) and incidence angles. For proof of concept only FSS Design 1 is fabricated and measured in an anechoic chamber. The simulated and measured results exhibit good agreement. Extensive benchmarking against state-of-the-art FSS designs from the literature corroborates the advantages of the proposed topology in terms of design novelty, topological versatility, compact size, and wide bandstop response as compared to the previously available designs.

Design of a Transmission-Type Polarization-Insensitive and Angularly Stable Polarization Rotator by Using Characteristic Modes Theory

A novel design strategy for realizing a transmission-type polarization rotator of linearly polarized (LP) plane waves by exploiting the characteristic modes (CMs) theory is described. Design guidelines for the excitation of two current modes on a frequency selective surface (FSS), both exhibiting a circularly polarized (CP) radiated field, are provided to obtain the polarization rotation. The proposed converter exhibits remarkable performance also in the case of oblique incidence and a polarization-insensitive response thanks to the FSS unit cell compactness along with its fourfold rotational symmetry. Specifically, it provides a 3 dB cross-polar transmission percentage bandwidth up to 16.5% with a minimum insertion loss (IL) of 0.1 dB for a normally impinging plane wave whereas in case of an incidence angle of 60° the 3 dB cross-polar transmission percentage bandwidth turns out to be around 14% with a minimum IL of 0.7 dB. Measurements on a realized prototype are in good agreement with simulations, confirming the reliability of the proposed theoretical study.

Flexible Ink-Minimized Screen-Printed Frequency Selective Surfaces With Increased Optical Transparency for 5G Electromagnetic Interference Mitigation

A thin, flexible and transparent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) based screen-printed band-stop Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) with ink minimization is experimentally demonstrated at 28 GHz using both planar and conformal configurations. A miniaturized conventional FSS unit cell is ink-minimized using surface meshing without compromising the angular stability of the transmission response of the surface within ±60°. This not only leads to reduced amount of expensive ink required in prototyping, thereby lowering the overall manufacturing cost, but also increases the optical transparency of the structure by a factor of 65% using an 80 μm line-width tolerance. Finally, the operation of the ink-minimized FSS is experimentally shown using a conformal geometry with two radii of curvature (60 mm and 114 mm) and a good filtering performance is confirmed. Useful for 5G electromagnetic interference (EMI) applications, these FSSs feature increased feasibility through improved transparency and reduced cost due to ink minimization.

Super Ultra-Wideband Planar Antenna with Parasitic Notch and Frequency Selective Surface for Gain Enhancement

A compact Super ultra-wideband (SUW) antenna is discussed in this work. A rectangular radiator is modified into a tree-shaped structure with the defected partial ground to enhance the operating bandwidth. The novel rectangular parasitic with the circular slot is used as a notch in the ground plane which prevents the WLAN frequency. The proposed SUW antenna is achieving the 10 dB impedance bandwidth (IBW) from 3.5 GHz to 66.5 GHz frequency with a notched band varying from 5.0 GHz to 5.4 GHz. The bandwidth ratio (BDR) of the proposed SUW antenna is 1773.4 whereas the obtained bandwidth percentage (BW %) is 180. A modified SRR frequency selective surface (FSS) is designed for UWB application to improve the gain of the antenna. The compact unit cell of FSS is having electrical dimensions of 0.16λ0x 0.16λ0 The antenna achieves the maximum realized gain 9.46 dB when FSS is loaded as a superstrate and up to 5.2 dB gain enhancement is observed in the UWB frequency.

A Miniaturized Wireless Passive Frequency Selective Surface Sensor for High-Temperature Applications

A passive and wireless sensor based on frequency selective surface (FSS) is presented for high-temperature applications. The sensor consists of a bent square loop array deposited in an alumina dielectric substrate. By inserting four symmetrical slots in the square loop structure, the dimension of the FSS unit cell is as compact as <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.13 \lambda _{{0}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> . The results show that the resonant frequency of the sensor decreases from 13.96 to 13.172 GHz with an average sensitivity of 0.81 MHz/°C when the temperature rises from 25 to 1000 °C. It was found that the resonant frequency shift is mainly attributed to the variations in permittivity of the substrate material. The sensor has a stable resonant frequency for both TE and TM polarizations under incident angles with a range of 0°–30°. The proposed sensor, which has the advantages of miniaturization, low profile, high sensitivity, and excellent angular stability, can be potentially applied in various harsh environments.

Design of Dual-Band Frequency-Selective Surfaces With Independent Tunability

A design approach for dual-passband frequency-selective surface (FSS) with independent tunability is proposed and implemented. The principle of the proposed design approach is elaborated based on an equivalent circuit model, and it is demonstrated that the construction of FSS unit cell with two independently controlled transmission poles plays a decisive role. Referencing to the proposed approach, a varactor-based polarization-insensitive dual-passband FSS with independent tunability is demonstrated experimentally for the first time. In this prototype, a shunted substrate integrated waveguide cavity (SIWC) like structure is designed to realize electromagnetic isolation and serve as the dc ground for varactors to simplify the dc bias feed network. Simulated and measured results show that both passbands located in L-band and S-band can be tuned independently, and the transmission characteristic of the designed tunable FSS (TFSS) possesses good angle stability.

FSS embedded high gain ‘N’ shaped miniaturized broadband antenna

This research work represents a broadband (3.3 GHz − 17.85 GHz) high gain miniaturized (16 mm × 24 mm × 1.6 mm) microstrip patch antenna. Initially multiband property is achieved through ‘N’ shaped radiating patch surface and ‘I’ shaped ground plane surface. Finally broadband property is attained through better impedance matching by modifying feeding structure with a single step matching staircase structure. The presented antenna shows large −10 dB impedance bandwidth of 14.55 GHz with a percentage bandwidth of 138 %, Bandwidth Dimension Ratio (BDR) of 2970 and a peak gain of 4.45 dBi at 9.5 GHz. By embedding FSS (Frequency Selective Surface) structure having FSS unit cell dimension of 13 mm × 13 mm × 1.6 mm with the antenna at suitable distance, antenna gain has been elevated successfully across the entire operating frequency range (3.25 GHz–17.8 GHz). FSS coupled antenna exhibits highest gain improvement of 7.5 dBi at 3.5 GHz and peak gain of 9.1 dBi at 9.3 GHz. The FSS integrated antenna structure operates with elevated gain (peak gain of 9.1 dBi at 9.3 GHz) across the entire operating frequency range (3.25 GHz–17.8 GHz). All inclusive volume of the presented FSS coupled antenna is 52 mm × 52 mm × 21.2 mm, which can be successfully utilized in high gain broadband wireless applications. The antenna patch area miniaturization is calculated as 65 % with respect to lowest frequency of operation. The proposed FSS and antenna are developed and simulated by utilizing CST Studio Suite Software and equivalent circuit of the presented antenna is simulated utilizing ADS software. Both FSS and antenna are fabricated using inexpensive FR 4 substrate (1.6 mm thick, relative dielectric constant of 4.4 and loss tangent of 0.02) and Standard Microwave Test Bench is used to validate the antenna and composite antenna structure simulation results.