Analysis and Design of Wideband Low-RCS Fabry-Perot Antennas With Reduced Profile

In this article, two incomplete partially reflective surface (PRS)-based Fabry-Perot (F-P) antennas each with a high gain, wideband low radar cross section (RCS), and reduced profile are proposed. The reductions of the antenna profiles and RCS are realized based on artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) surfaces and the phase cancellation, respectively. In the first design, two AMC surfaces are placed around the radiation patch and above the PRS. The thickness of the F-P cavity is reduced by half due to the zero-phase reflection of the lower AMC surface around the radiation patch. The income waves are partly reflected by the upper AMC surface above the PRS with zero reflection phase and partly penetrate the PRS and then reflected by the lower AMC surface also with zero reflection phase. The reflected EM waves from the bottom AMC surface travel another distance of quarter wavelength in the upward direction making the total electrical path traveled be half wavelength, thereby causing a phase shift of 180 degrees with the reflected waves from the upper AMC surface, and thus resulting in a wideband RCS reduction. For the second design, another AMC surface is placed below the PRS. On one hand, the middle and lower AMC surfaces have the same reflection phases and then an F-P cavity with a subwavelength thickness is generated. On the other hand, the phase difference between the upper and lower AMC surfaces is also designed as 180 degrees, which is used to suppress the total backward RCS. The two F-P antennas are both fabricated and measured. Measured results validate their reflection, radiation, and scattering performance well. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first design, which integrates the physical (thin F-P cavity), radiation (gain enhancement), and scattering (broadband RCS reduction) performance of the F-P antenna.

Automated summary

In this article, two partially reflective surface-based Fabry-Perot antennas with high gain, wideband low radar cross section, and reduced profile are proposed. The reduction in the profile and RCS is achieved through the use of artificial magnetic conductor surfaces and phase cancellation. The antennas are fabricated and measured, and their performance is validated.