A Fluidic Loading Mechanism for Phase Reconfigurable Reflectarray Elements

A fluidic-based approach is proposed as a means to reconfigure the reflected phase of a microstrip reflectarray element. Reactive loading for reconfiguration is provided by altering the volume fraction of a fluidic colloidal dispersion within a device. Aspects of design, modeling, and measurement are discussed for a unit-cell prototype design. The impact of losses within the fluidic and colloidal material systems are also investigated. Measurements from waveguide experiments demonstrate up to 220° of phase change and a return loss of less than 2 dB at the operating frequency of 3 GHz.

[1]  Kai Chang,et al.  Beam steering of a microstrip flat reflectarray antenna , 1994, Proceedings of IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium and URSI National Radio Science Meeting.

[2]  Y. Rahmat-Samii,et al.  RF MEMS Actuated Reconfigurable Reflectarray Patch-Slot Element , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[3]  S. A. Long,et al.  Development of a closed-loop fluidic system for a phase reconfigurable reflectarray element , 2011, Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EUCAP).

[4]  Tayfun Akin,et al.  Beam Switching Reflectarray using RF MEMS Technology , 2007 .

[5]  Chih-Chieh Cheng,et al.  Design and experimental verification of steerable reflect-arrays based on two-bit antenna-filter-antenna elements , 2009, 2009 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[6]  Robert R. Romanofsky,et al.  Advances in Scanning Reflectarray Antennas Based on Ferroelectric Thin-Film Phase Shifters for Deep-Space Communications , 2007, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[7]  R. Jakoby,et al.  Basic investigations of 35 GHz reflectarrays and tunable unit-cells for beamsteering applications , 2005, European Radar Conference, 2005. EURAD 2005..

[8]  A. G. Martinez-Lopez,et al.  Spiraphase-type element with optimal transformation of switch impedances , 2010 .

[9]  Gregory H. Huff,et al.  Experiments on a fluidic loading mechanism for beam-steering reflectarrays , 2010, 2010 IEEE International Conference on Wireless Information Technology and Systems.

[10]  Ari Sihvola,et al.  Electromagnetic mixing formulas and applications , 1999 .

[11]  S. Costanzo,et al.  TRANSMISSION LINE ANALYSIS OF APERTURE-COUPLED REFLECTARRAYS , 2008, Progress In Electromagnetics Research C.

[12]  Holger Maune,et al.  Reconfigurable unit cell for reflectarray antenna based on barium-strontium-titanate thick-film ceramic , 2009, 2009 European Microwave Conference (EuMC).

[13]  G.H. Huff,et al.  A Coaxial Stub Microfluidic Impedance Transformer (COSMIX) , 2010, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[14]  R. Jakoby,et al.  Basic investigations of 35 GHz reflectarrays and tunable unit-cells for beam steering applications , 2005, 2005 European Microwave Conference.

[15]  J. Encinar,et al.  Reflectarray antennas , 2007, Developments in Antenna Analysis and Design: Volume 2.