A circularly polarized meshed patch antenna design is presented. The proposed antenna consists of two square meshed patches, which generate two orthogonal linear polarizations at two slightly different frequencies. A common proximity feedline is utilized to excite the two patches, and a 90 phase difference can be achieved between the two resonant frequencies, which is needed for circular polarization. The overall structure of this antenna is highly compatible with solar panels; thus, it is of great significance for small satellite applications. The measured results of the antenna prototype show that it has a 3-dB axial-ratio (AR) bandwidth of 15 MHz, a 10-dB impedance bandwidth of 2%, and a gain of 5.15 dB at its center frequency 2.47 GHz.Index Terms-Circular polarization, meshed patch antenna, solar cell integration.
Abstract-This paper analyzes rectangular and circular patch antennas fabricated from meshed conductors and backed with solid ground planes. Because of the meshing, the antennas are rendered optically transparent, where the transparency is determined by the mesh geometry. It is found that although there is a compromise between the antenna's efficiency and the optical transparency of the meshed patch, it is possible to optimize the antenna by refining mesh lines to certain extent. The limiting factors for refining mesh lines include material handling and fabrication process as well as the increased line impedance when being refined, which accordingly causes loss in antenna's efficiency. A refined mesh with thin linewidth increases both antenna performance and transparency. Additionally, it is found that the reduction of certain mesh lines increases the optical transparency with minimal hindrance to the antenna's efficiency, leading to further enhancement to the see-through percentage. Although it is possible to refine mesh lines to improve the antenna's efficiency or gain, it is seen that there is a limit for such an optimization method. This limit is closer to the efficiency of a solid patch for a lower transparency, whereas it is lower for increased transparency. Cross polarization level was also examined, and there was no significant effect on such a parameter due to meshing.
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