Single-layer Dual-band Reflectarray Research Articles

A Dual Ka/Q-Band Reflectarray

Introduction. Duplex satellite communication is commonly arranged using two spaced frequency bands, with one band receiving and the other band transmitting signals to a satellite. The main task of a communications satellite antenna system consists in providing an identical coverage area across all involved frequency bands, which is often a challenging task for conventional parabolic reflector antennas. Reflectarrays allow an independent control of the reradiated wave phase in spaced frequency bands, which can be used to create efficient multi-band antenna systems for modern communication satellites.Aim. To develop a Ka/Q-frequency range phase-correcting element and to create on its basis a dual-band reflectarray for operation with orthogonal circular polarizations and identical gains in a given sector of angles in significantly spaced frequency ranges.Materials and methods. Numerical studies were carried out using the finite element analysis method. Radiation patterns were measured using the near field scanning method.Results. A single-layer dual-band phase-correcting reflectarray element was developed for operation with orthogonal circular polarizations with low losses and a weak dependence of the relative position of the elements on the phase characteristic. On the basis of the proposed element, a reflectarray consisting of 24 465 two-frequency elements was synthesized and manufactured. The developed prototype of a single-layer dual-band reflectarray demonstrated good characteristics, with the efficiency reaching 56 and 36 % in the Ka- and Q-frequency ranges, respectively, and an almost identical minimum gain in the ±0.75° angle sector.Conclusion. The research results confirm the potential of the developed reflectarray to successfully replace conventional parabolic reflectors installed both on modern communication satellites and as part of ground-based satellite terminals in the millimeter wavelength range.

Dual-Mode Circular Polarization Selective Surface Cell for Single-Layer Dual-Band Circularly Polarized Reflectarray

A dual-mode circular polarization selective surface (CPSS) cell based on a modification of the Pierrot cell is presented for single-layer dual-band circularly polarized (CP) reflectarray antenna design. To achieve dual-mode CP discrimination performance, the improved three-dimensional geometry and the high-order resonances of the CPSS cell are utilized. The required phase shifts in both modes are obtained by varying the cell rotation angle. A single-layer dual-band reflectarray operating with orthogonal CPs has been fabricated and tested. Measured results show the peak gains of 25.2 dBi at 11.6 GHz with 31% 3 dB axial ratio (AR) bandwidth and 26.5 dBi at 14.6 GHz with 32% 3 dB AR bandwidth, respectively. The measured efficiency is 41.2% at 11.6 GHz and 55.5% at 14.6 GHz.

A Single-Layer Dual-Band Reflectarray Cell for 5G Communication Systems

A single-layer dual-band reflectarray cell is proposed in this work for future 5G systems. A reflectarray unit cell operating at 28/38 GHz is designed by adopting two pairs of miniaturized fractal patches, offering low losses (<0.7 dB) and almost full-phase ranges (≅320°) at both operating frequencies. The proposed configuration allows to achieve very small interelement spacings and negligible mutual coupling effects between the two bands, thus assuring an independent phase-tuning mechanism at both desired frequency bands. The designed compact cell is successfully adopted to demonstrate reflectarrays’ abilities in achieving fixed scanned-beam and/or multibeam patterns, under the dual-band operation mode. Full-wave numerical validations, performed on the synthesized reflectarray structures, confirm the effectiveness of the designed dual-band configuration in achieving independent radiation patterns and quite good bandwidths, at the two designed frequencies. Thanks to its compactness and versatility in achieving both frequency diversity and multibeam/scanned-beam radiation patterns, the proposed unit cell is appealing for future 5G applications.

The design of a wideband single-layer dual-band reflectarray antenna based on an optimized element

A design for a broadband single-layer dual-band reflectarray antenna is presented. A genetic algorithm is employed to design and optimize the element of the antenna. The basic idea to improve the bandwidth of the proposed antenna is based on increasing the range of the linear region of the phase response of the microstrip element. The definition of the fitness function plays an important role in the design process for the optimized unit cell. Three different unit cells with various fitness functions are proposed. Two reflectarrays with 185 elements were designed and simulated based on two different optimized cells. One of the simulated reflectarrays, containing the simpler cells, is fabricated. The designed reflectarrays exhibits a wider gain bandwidth compared with other reflectarray structures proposed in literature. The 3-dB gain bandwidth of the fabricated antenna in the X and Ku bands is 39 % and 44 %, respectively. The gain of the proposed antenna is 21.8 and 26.6 dB at 7.8 and 12.2 GHz, respectively. The proposed design procedure is flexible and could be used to design reflector array antennas with various and arbitrary properties.

Single-Layer Dual-Band Reflectarray Antennas With Wide Frequency Ratios and High Aperture Efficiencies Using Phoenix Elements

A novel design methodology for single-layer dual-band reflectarray antennas with wide frequency ratios is proposed by exploiting the unique reflection phase properties of Phoenix elements. Full 360° phase ranges at both frequency bands are achieved simultaneously by using only one element set. Compared to conventional approaches that use two sets of elements for dual-band operation, physical and electromagnetic mutual interferences between the elements operating at different frequency bands can be completely avoided. A detailed design procedure for single-layer dual-band reflectarrays with a wide frequency ratio up to 2.5 is presented, and a set of three center-fed dual-band reflectarrays operating at 15/10, 20/10, and 25/10 GHz, respectively, are designed and numerically verified using full-wave simulations. Furthermore, an offset-fed single-layer dual-band reflectarray operating at 20/10 GHz with a circular aperture of 400 mm in diameter is designed, fabricated, and tested for experimental verification. The measured gains are 36.1 dBi with an aperture efficiency of 58.0% at 20 GHz and 30.3 dBi with an aperture efficiency of 61.1% at 10 GHz, respectively. The measured 1-dB gain bandwidth is 9.1% and 14.0% at the upper and lower bands, respectively. Both the simulated and measured results successfully demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design methodology.

Single-Layer Dual-Band Reflectarray With Single Linear Polarization

This paper presents two kinds of novel elements to design single-layer dual-band reflectarray, with identical polarization in two closely separated bands. Several degrees of freedom of the proposed elements are tuned to match the desired phase compensations at two center frequencies simultaneously. It is noted that the dual-band characteristics are realized by a single integrated element rather than conventional dual-band elements with independent tunable components corresponding to two center frequencies. A 10 × 10-element offset-fed reflectarray operating at 9 and 13.5 GHz, with a ratio of the center frequencies 1.5, is designed and fabricated to validate the performance of the element, and the measured results show reasonable agreements with simulations. Due to the incompleteness of reflection phase distribution at the two center frequencies of the presented element, a complementary element with four resonances is introduced. Then, a 20 × 20-element reflectarray composed of both kinds of elements is also designed, and the measured results demonstrate a good availability of the proposed elements.