volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

The demand for reliable and high-speed wireless communication in urban environments such as offices and densely populated areas is often hindered by signal obstructions. Reflectarray antennas offering beam steering capabilities through passive configurations have gained significant attention as a potential solution. However, existing designs at lower frequency bands struggle to achieve efficient phase variation within a single layer while maintaining high gain and consistent performance. In order to overcome these constraints, this work presents a reflectarray design that operates at 5 GHz. It utilizes a 15 × 15 multi-ring unit cell structure on a single-layer FR4 substrate to achieve a complete 360˚ phase variation. Two prototypes were fabricated to steer beams at 30˚ and 60˚, demonstrating the design's flexibility and adaptability for various application-specific requirements. The proposed reflectarray realizes a peak gain of 21 dBi and operates over a wide frequency range of 4.5-5.5 GHz, as validated through simulation and experimental results. The design effectively enhances signal coverage and addresses blockage challenges in urban areas, providing a practical solution for passive reflectarrays in Wi-Fi and similar wireless communication applications.

1. Osterrieder, Philipp, Lukas Budde, and Thomas Friedli, "The smart factory as a key construct of industry 4.0: A systematic literature review," International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 221, 107476, 2020. Google Scholar

2. Zhang, Yixin, Saeed R. Khosravirad, Xiaoli Chu, and Mikko A. Uusitalo, "On the IRS deployment in smart factories considering blockage effects: Collocated or distributed?," IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, Vol. 23, No. 9, 12084-12098, 2024. Google Scholar

3. Callaghan, Peter and Paul R. Young, "Beam-and band-width broadening of intelligent reflecting surfaces using elliptical phase distribution," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 70, No. 10, 8825-8832, 2022. Google Scholar

4. Quevedo-Teruel, Oscar, Hongsheng Chen, Ana Díaz-Rubio, Gurkan Gok, Anthony Grbic, Gabriele Minatti, Enrica Martini, Stefano Maci, George V. Eleftheriades, Michael Chen, et al. "Roadmap on metasurfaces," Journal of Optics, Vol. 21, No. 7, 073002, 2019. Google Scholar

5. Xu, Liang, Chengwei Yuan, Qiang Zhang, Jinliang Liu, Quan Zhang, and Yunfei Sun, "Design and experiments of a beam-steerable wideband reflectarray antenna for high-power microwave applications," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 71, No. 2, 1955-1959, 2023. Google Scholar

6. Chen, Rui, Zhenyang Tian, Wen-Xuan Long, Xiaodong Wang, and Wei Zhang, "Hybrid mechanical and electronic beam steering for maximizing OAM channel capacity," IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, Vol. 22, No. 1, 534-549, 2023. Google Scholar

7. Zhang, Shuxin and Baoyan Duan, "Random error characterization of nonsmooth parabolic reflector antennas with gore-faceted or discontinuous surface," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 69, No. 4, 1922-1930, 2021. Google Scholar

8. Cho, Hyunyoung, Hye-Won Jo, Jeong-Wook Kim, Kwang-Seok Kim, Ju-Ik Oh, and Jong-Won Yu, "Shorted trapezoidal SIW antenna with quasi-hemispherical pattern for 2D wide scanning planar phased array antenna," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 70, No. 8, 7211-7216, 2022. Google Scholar

9. Liu, Fu, Do-Hoon Kwon, and Sergei Tretyakov, "Reflectarrays and metasurface reflectors as diffraction gratings: A tutorial," IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, Vol. 65, No. 3, 21-32, 2023. Google Scholar

10. Mei, Weidong, Beixiong Zheng, Changsheng You, and Rui Zhang, "Intelligent reflecting surface-aided wireless networks: From single-reflection to multireflection design and optimization," Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 110, No. 9, 1380-1400, 2022. Google Scholar

11. Basharat, Sarah, Maryam Khan, Muhammad Iqbal, Umair Sajid Hashmi, Syed Ali Raza Zaidi, and Ian Robertson, "Exploring reconfigurable intelligent surfaces for 6G: State‐of‐the‐art and the road ahead," IET Communications, Vol. 16, No. 13, 1458-1474, 2022. Google Scholar

12. Rao, Madasu Venkateswara, Jagannath Malik, S. Yuvaraj, and M. V. Kartikeyan, "Polarization insensitive reflectarray for OAM beam generation over octave bandwidth for 5G applications," AEU --- International Journal of Electronics and Communications, Vol. 170, 154775, 2023. Google Scholar

13. Imaz-Lueje, Borja, Daniel R. Prado, Manuel Arrebola, and Marcos R. Pino, "Reflectarray antennas: A smart solution for new generation satellite mega-constellations in space communications," Scientific Reports, Vol. 10, No. 1, 21554, 2020. Google Scholar

14. Wu, Meizi, Wei Rao, and Lu Guo, "A broadband and high-efficiency folded transmitarray antenna," Microwave and Optical Technology Letters, Vol. 66, No. 10, e70006, 2024. Google Scholar

15. Shojaeifard, Arman, Kai-Kit Wong, Kin-Fai Tong, Zhiyuan Chu, Alain Mourad, Afshin Haghighat, Ibrahim Hemadeh, Nhan Thanh Nguyen, Visa Tapio, and Markku Juntti, "MIMO evolution beyond 5G through reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and fluid antenna systems," Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 110, No. 9, 1244-1265, 2022. Google Scholar

16. Kim, Hogyeom, Jongyeong Kim, and Jungsuek Oh, "Communication a novel systematic design of high-aperture-efficiency 2D beam-scanning liquid-crystal embedded reflectarray antenna for 6G FR3 and radar applications," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 70, No. 11, 11194-11198, 2022. Google Scholar

17. Cano, H. Pablo Zapata, Zaharias D. Zaharis, Traianos V. Yioultsis, Nikolaos V. Kantartzis, and Pavlos I. Lazaridis, "Pattern reconfigurable antennas at millimeter-wave frequencies: A comprehensive survey," IEEE Access, Vol. 10, 83029-83042, 2022. Google Scholar

18. Luk, Kwai-Man and Bingjie Xiang, "Transmitarray and reflectarray antennas based on a magnetoelectric dipole antenna," Electromagnetic Science, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1-14, 2023. Google Scholar

19. Al-Nuaimi, Mustafa K. Taher, AbdElhady Mahmoud, Wei Hong, and Yejun He, "Design of single-layer circularly polarized reflectarray with efficient beam scanning," IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, Vol. 19, No. 6, 1002-1006, 2020. Google Scholar

20. Ali, Qasim, Waseem Shahzad, Iftikhar Ahmad, Shozab Safiq, Xi Bin, Syed Muzahir Abbas, and Houjun Sun, "Recent developments and challenges on beam steering characteristics of reconfigurable transmitarray antennas," Electronics, Vol. 11, No. 4, 587, 2022. Google Scholar

21. Nayeri, Payam, Fan Yang, and Atef Z. Elsherbeni, "Bifocal design and aperture phase optimizations of reflectarray antennas for wide-angle beam scanning performance," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 61, No. 9, 4588-4597, 2013. Google Scholar

22. Li, Huan, Chao Ma, Tianyi Zhou, Jun Wang, Dexin Ye, Yongzhi Sun, Weiqiang Zhu, Tayeb A. Denidni, and Lixin Ran, "Reconfigurable Fresnel lens based on an active second-order bandpass frequency-selective surface," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 68, No. 5, 4054-4059, 2020. Google Scholar

23. Gao, Lin, Fan Yang, Shenheng Xu, Maokun Li, and Xiaolong Liu, "Design of a beam-scanning reflectarray antenna with an offset mechanically rotational horn," 2015 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation & USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting, 2281-2282, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2015.

24. Wu, Geng-Bo, Shi-Wei Qu, Shiwen Yang, and Chi Hou Chan, "Low-cost 1-D beam-steering reflectarray with±70° scan coverage," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 68, No. 6, 5009-5014, 2020. Google Scholar

25. Abbasi, Muhammad Inam, Muhammad Hashim Dahri, Mohd Haizal Jamaluddin, Norhudah Seman, Muhammad Ramlee Kamarudin, and Noor Hafizah Sulaiman, "Millimeter wave beam steering reflectarray antenna based on mechanical rotation of array," IEEE Access, Vol. 7, 145685-145691, 2019. Google Scholar

26. Yang, Xue, Shenheng Xu, Fan Yang, Maokun Li, Houfei Fang, and Yangqing Hou, "Design of a circularly polarized reconfigurable reflectarray using micromotors," 2015 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation & USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting, 2155-2156, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2015.

27. Yang, Xue, Shenheng Xu, Fan Yang, Maokun Li, Yangqing Hou, Shuidong Jiang, and Lei Liu, "A broadband high-efficiency reconfigurable reflectarray antenna using mechanically rotational elements," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 65, No. 8, 3959-3966, 2017. Google Scholar

28. Tahseen, Muhammad M. and Ahmed A. Kishk, "Circularly Polarized Stepped Reflectarray: A new design approach for bandwidth enhancement," IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, Vol. 66, No. 2, 43-54, 2024. Google Scholar

29. Baki, A. K. M., Aalolika Roy Chowdhury, and Md. Shahriar Hasan, "Towards the realization of an intelligent reflecting surface with full 360° phase variation for beam steering applications at C and X bands," IEEE Access, Vol. 12, 113178-113192, 2024. Google Scholar

30. Dahri, Muhammad Hashim, Muhammad Inam Abbasi, Mohd Haizal Jamaluddin, and Muhammad Ramlee Kamarudin, "A review of high gain and high efficiency reflectarrays for 5G communications," IEEE Access, Vol. 6, 5973-5985, 2018. Google Scholar

31. Rao, Madasu Venkateswara, Jagannath Malik, S. Yuvaraj, and M. V. Kartikeyan, "A novel approach for the generation of OAM beam with high mode purity using the reflectarray," Optik, Vol. 296, 171557, 2024. Google Scholar

32. Nayeri, P., F. Yang, and A. Z. Elsherbeni, Introduction to Reflectarray Antennas, 1-8, Wiley, 2018.

Dr. Make Madhu Manikya Kumar

Dr. Rama Devi Kolisetty