Wideband 1 bit Reconfigurable Transmitarray Antenna Based on Polarization Rotation Element

In this letter, a broadband 1 bit reconfigurable transmitarray antenna (RTA) based on polarization rotation element is proposed. The transmitarray element is composed of two split circular rings connected by two narrow strips and sandwiched by two orthogonal polarizers. As phase shift and polarization conversion structure, the two patches are separated by the air layer, and the p-i-n diodes are soldered in the center of the narrow strips. The polarizer grids are used as dc bias lines to conduct p-i-n diodes. By controlling the p-i-n diodes in the on and off states, the polarization orientation of the wave emitted by the RTA element is changed. Then, the outgoing waves in the two states physically form a broadband 180 degrees phase difference, which broadens the operating bandwidth of the RTA effectively. By utilizing the novel unit cell, a 16 x 16 elements RTA is designed, fabricated, and measured. The measured results show that the 3 dB and 1 dB gain bandwidths are 45% and 17%, respectively. The peak gain is 16.8 dBi with aperture efficiency of 18.4%. Furthermore, the proposed RTA has good beam scanning performance with 2-D scanning range of +/- 40 degrees.

Automated summary

This study proposes a broadband reconfigurable transmitarray antenna based on a polarization rotation element, which effectively broadens the operating bandwidth of the RTA by controlling the on and off states of p-i-n diodes to change the polarization orientation of the emitted wave. Experimental results show that a 16 x 16 elements RTA has good performance, including peak gain, aperture efficiency, and beam scanning range.