Simple 60 GHz Switched Beam Antenna for 5G Millimeter-Wave Applications

A new 60 GHz band single-input switched beam antenna is proposed for the fifth-generation (5G) millimeter-wave network applications. The presented design is capable of electronically switching the main beam in two different directions via a proposed microstrip-line-to-slotline single-pole dual-throw (SPDT) switch based on commercially available p-i-n diodes. The antenna is fabricated in a low-cost printed circuit board process on a CuClad 217 substrate. Measurements were carried out in an anechoic chamber and experimental results show good agreement with numerical simulations. The antenna is capable of switching the main beam to the +45<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> and −45<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> directions in the horizontal plane with a gain of about 3 dBi and a beamwidth of 80<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> in both states. The presented prototype shows several advantages over other state-of-the-art millimeter-wave reconfigurable antennas such as a simple electrical switching mechanism, low-cost manufacturing, a low profile, and a small footprint. These features make the presented antenna ideal for low-cost millimeter-wave 5G applications, particularly in end-devices working under the Internet-of-Things paradigm.