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. .

Related publications

• J. Cha,Y Kuga,A. Ishimaru, and S. Lee," A 20 GHz Steerable Array Antenna Using 3-bit Dielectric Slab Phase Shifter on a Coplanar Waveguide," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 55, No. 2, pp. 290-297, February 2007.
• J. Cha, Yasuo Kuga, and Sangil Lee, " A Steerable Array Antenna Using Movable Dielectric Slabs on a Coplanar Waveguide," Microwave and Optical Technology Letter, vol. 48, no.11, pp. 2222-2227, 2006.
• J. Cha, and Y. Kuga, " A Mechanically Steerable Array Antenna Using Controllable Dielectric Phase Shifters for 77 GHz Automotive Radar Systems," URSI - APS, Albuquerque, NM, July 9-14, 2006.
• J. Cha and Yasuo Kuga, " Steerable Array Antenna with Dielectric Phase shifters for 77 GHz Automotive Radar Applications,URSI 2006 University of Colorado, 4-7 Jan. 2006, Boulder, CO.
• J. Cha, and Y. Kuga, "A mechanically steerable array antenna with controllable microwave phase shifters at 20 GHz," URSI - APS, Washington, DC, July 3-8, 2005.
• J. Cha and Yasuo Kuga, "A Mechanically Steerable Phased-Array Antenna with Controllable Microwave Phase Shifter"IEEE NETC, May 17-19, 2005, Bellevue, WA.
• J. Cha and Yasuo Kuga," A Phased-Array Antenna with Mechanically Controllable Microwave Phase Shifters," URSI 2005 University of Colorado, 5-8 Jan. 2005, Boulder, CO.
• Y. Kuga, J. Cha, J. Ritcey, and J. Kajiya, "Mechanically steerable antennas using dielectric phase shifters," URSI - APS, Monterey, CA, June 20-26, 2004.

Sponsored by NSF