Aperture-Coupled Beam-Scanning Patch Array With Parasitic Elements Using a Reconfigurable Series-Fed Phase-Shifting Structure

In this letter, we propose a reconfigurable series-fed phase-shifting structure with movable metal plate for active millimeter wave beam-scanning application. The proposed phaseshifting structure can be equivalent to a certain number of phase shifters in the series-fed network. It can be easily controlled with only one meta l plate, which further simplify the design of control system for phase shifters and reduce the cost. A prototype of 1-D aperture-coupled patch array with parasitic elements at 28 GHz is designed, fabricated, and measured for verifying the performance of the proposed phase-shifting structure. The measurement results at 28 GHz show that 1-D beam-steering capability with maximum steering angle of similar to 22 degrees at the H-plane can be achieved, revealing great potentials for developing the simple control and cost-effective active phased array for millimeter wave wireless power transmission application.

Automated summary

In this letter, a reconfigurable series-fed phase-shifting structure with a movable metal plate for active millimeter wave beam-scanning application is proposed. The proposed structure can be equivalent to a certain number of phase shifters in the series-fed network. It can be easily controlled with only one metal plate, simplifying the design of control system for phase shifters and reducing the cost. A prototype of a 1-D aperture-coupled patch array with parasitic elements at 28 GHz is designed, fabricated, and measured to verify the performance of the proposed phase-shifting structure. The measurement results demonstrate the 1-D beam-steering capability with a maximum steering angle of approximately 22 degrees at the H-plane, indicating great potential for developing a simple control and cost-effective active phased array for millimeter wave wireless power transmission application.