Liquid crystal based phased array antenna with improved beam scanning capability. Issue 6 (1st March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Karabey, O.H.; Mehmood, A.; Ayluctarhan, M.; Braun, H.; Letz, M.; Jakoby, R.
• Is Part Of: Electronics letters. Volume 50:Issue 6(2014)
• Page Start: 426
• Page End: 428
• Publication Date: 2014-03-01
• Subjects: antenna phased arrays -- dielectric resonator antennas -- liquid crystals -- microwave phase shifters -- antenna feeds -- antenna radiation patterns -- microstrip lines; phased array antenna -- dielectric resonator antenna array -- DRA array -- liquid crystal based phase shifters -- LC based phase shifters -- RF‐feeding networks -- biasing networks -- waveguide radiating elements -- surface waves -- beam scan angle -- inverted microstrip line topology -- far‐field power patterns -- anechoic chamber -- beam scanning capability; Electronics -- Periodicals; 621.381
• DOI: 10.1049/el.2014.0269
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-5194

Abstract

Abstract : A phased array antenna is presented, including a 1‐by‐4 dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) array, liquid crystal (LC) based phase shifters, RF‐feeding and biasing networks. The dielectric resonators are used as waveguide radiating elements. The RF signal coupled between the phase shifters and DRAs are guided and then radiated from the top face of the DRAs. This reduces the effects of the surface waves since the radiation is away from the ground plane. Hence, the gain losses at wide scan angles are reduced, enlarging the antenna's beam scan angle, compared to that of a conventional microstrip patch antenna array. The LC phase shifters are realised in inverted microstrip line topology, with a phase shifter figure‐of‐merit of 70°/dB at 10 GHz. The far‐field power patterns of the antenna were measured in an anechoic chamber for different beam directions. These results confirm that the gain losses are <1.5 for a beam scanning range of ±30° for the broadside.