A reconfigurable phase gradient metasurface antenna for beam steering

Abstract

Abstract In this article, a reconfigurable phase gradient metasurface (PGM) antenna for beam steering is presented. The antenna consists of a three‐layer transmitarray metasurface and a broadband patch antenna. The PIN diode is loaded onto the split ring resonator (SRR). The phase gradient principle is used to regulate the electromagnetic waves to achieve the function of the gain enhancement and beam tilt. By clever design, the antenna is quickly switched in beam tilt in the 8.9–9.9 GHz range and gain enhancement in the 7.9–9.4 GHz range without the need for additional circuits. The proposed PGM antenna can achieve beam tilt in a certain bandwidth range and gain enhancement simultaneously. Compared with the previous beam steering antenna, it has broader bandwidth and smaller volume. The experimental results are in good agreement with the simulated ones.