Multibeam digital metasurface reflectarray antenna for 5G millimeter wave applications

• Published in: Microwave and optical technology letters 2024-01, Vol.66 (1), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Bashir, Gazali, Singh, Amit K., Dubey, Ankit
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 5G mobile communication; Antenna arrays; Antenna radiation patterns; Antennas; Coding; digital metasurface reflector; Dipoles; Electromagnetic radiation; Frequency ranges; High gain; Metasurfaces; millimeter waveantenna; Millimeter waves; multibeam; phase‐graded metasurface; Radiation
• ISSN: 0895-2477; 1098-2760
• DOI: 10.1002/mop.33944

A phase‐graded multibeam high gain digital metasurface reflector array (DMSRA) antenna for 5G millimeter wave communication is proposed in this letter. The DMSRA unit‐cell element is composed of a dipole loaded with endstubs. The variation of load across the diploe manipulates the reflection phase response of the incoming electromagnetic wave. A discretized phase state of 0° and 180° is obtained for an optimized loaded dipole. The phase states mimic the binary meta bit‐0 and meta bit‐1. The metabits are distributed along the reflecting surface using a digital coding sequence to form multiple beams in the desired direction. A coding sequence of 010101… is employed to design a two‐dimensional phase‐graded metasurface to generate a four‐beam radiation pattern. The designed digital metasurface reflectarray antenna of dimensions 3.9λo×3.9λo ${3.9\lambda }_{o}\times 3.9{\lambda }_{o}$ is fabricated and measured to validate the performance. The DMSRA is excited by an antipodal Vivaldi antenna positioned at an optimized focal point of 28 mm. The measured results show a four‐beam radiation pattern obtained over the frequency range of 27.5–28.5 GHz along azimuthal and elevation planes, with a peak beam gain of 10.5 dBi at 28 GHz.