Reflectarray Antennas for Dual Polarization and Broadband Telecom Satellite Applications

Abstract

Abstract-A reflectarray antenna with improved performance is proposed to operate in dual-polarization and transmit-receive frequencies in Ku-band for broadcast satellite applications. The reflectarray element contains two orthogonal sets of four coplanar parallel dipoles printed on two surfaces, each set combining lateral and broadside coupling. A 40-cm prototype has been designed, manufactured and tested. The lengths of the coupled dipoles in the reflectarray cells have been optimized to produce a collimated beam in dual polarization in the transmit and receive bands. The measured radiation patterns confirm the high performance of the antenna in terms of bandwidth (27%), low losses and low levels of cross polarization. Some preliminary simulations at 11.95 GHz for a 1.2-m antenna with South American coverage are presented to show the potential of the proposed antenna for spaceborne antennas in Ku-band.

Improved Reflectarray Phase-Only Synthesis Using the Generalized Intersection Approach with Dielectric Frame and First Principle of Equivalence

“…Most commonly, the Second Principle is used [1] since it only requires knowledge of the tangential electric field. Nevertheless, it has been recently proven that the use of the First Principle of Equivalence provides more accuracy in the prediction of the far field, especially in the crosspolar pattern [15]. This principle requires, in addition to the tangential electric field, knowledge about the magnetic tangential field.…”

Dual-polarization reflectarray in Ku-band based on two layers of dipole-arrays for a transmit-receive satellite antenna with South American coverage

“…However, the required level of isolation between orthogonal polarizations in DBS antennas (typically 30 dB) is difficult to achieve with the configuration of stacked patches, particularly for a wide contoured beam, as shown in [5]. A new type of reflectarray cell containing two orthogonal sets of parallel dipoles in only two levels of metallization was proposed in [7] to improve the cross-polar properties of reflectarray antennas, to simplify the manufacturing process (respect the reflectarrays made of 3 layers of rectangular patches) and to reduce the antenna cost. The improved performance of the new type of reflectarray was validated by a 40-cm prototype reported in [7].…”

“…A new type of reflectarray cell containing two orthogonal sets of parallel dipoles in only two levels of metallization was proposed in [7] to improve the cross-polar properties of reflectarray antennas, to simplify the manufacturing process (respect the reflectarrays made of 3 layers of rectangular patches) and to reduce the antenna cost. The improved performance of the new type of reflectarray was validated by a 40-cm prototype reported in [7].…”

“…In this paper, we present the results a 1.1-meter antenna demonstrator designed to fulfill the same requirements as in the case of the 3-layer reflectarray reported in [6], but using the new reflectarray cell proposed in [7] made of two layers with printed dipoles. The results are satisfactorily compared with those obtained for the 3-layer reflectarray.…”

Analytical Method for Designing FSS-Backed Reflectarray Antenna Using Transmission Line Approach

“…To overcome this disadvantage several multiband and broadband antennas have been used to increase the band width [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Multi band antennas can be implemented in single layer or multilayer configuration [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9].…”