Steerable array antennas using a movable dielectric phase shifter (sponsored by NSF)

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Summary

A simple steerable array antenna is designed and developed using a movable dielectric phase shifter. The change of the effective dielectric constant at different dielectric slab positions on a coplanar waveguide is used as the phase shifter. The impedance matching and desired phase shift conditions are satisfied at two slab heights, and the reflection is designed to be minimized at these slab positions. A low-loss dielectric material is used as the dielectric slab and is placed close to a coplanar transmission line with an airgap. Numerical simulations using Ansoft HFSS and Designer are conducted. In order to verify the validity of this phase shifter, we fabricate a CPW for testing purposes at 6 GHz. The 4x1 and 4x2 steerable array antennas at 5.8 GHz are fabricated and measured for a wireless network. A 4x4 steerable array antenna with 3-bit dielectric slab phase shifters is designed and fabricated at 20 GHz. Finally, the 8x4 and 8x7 steerable array antennas with 4-bit dielectric slab phase shifters are designed and fabricated at 24 GHz. The simulated and measured E- and H-plane radiation patterns of the proposed array antennas are illustrated. The H-plane radiation patterns are measured at different phase shift positions and compared with the expected simulation results. .

 

 

 

  

 

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Sponsored by NSF