A High-Efficiency Reconfigurable Bidirectional Array Antenna Based on Transmit-Reflect Switchable Metasurface

Abstract: This paper proposes a reconfigurable bidirectional array antenna with high-efficiency radiations and flexible beam-switching capability by employing a novel transmit-reflect switchable metasurface (TRSM). To realize the electromagnetic (EM) wave transmitted or reflected manipulation, a dedicated transmit-reflect switch layer (TRSL) with periodically soldered PIN diodes is introduced between two transmitted metasurfaces. By switching ON/OFF the embedded diodes, the TRSL performs as a mesh-type ground layer or polarization-grid layer, exhibiting a reflect or transmit property to the incident wave respectively. Further, utilizing the above TRSM configuration in conjunction with a microstrip feed antenna, bidirectional radiations are obtained at the same frequency and polarization. To further reduce the number of PIN diodes and control complexity, an enhanced TRSM using a single diode to control two unit cells is also investigated, resulting in half PIN diodes reduction. Since the bidirectional beam-switching is achieved by only controlling PIN diodes integrated in the ground plane instead of directly acting on the radiation element, which reduces insertion loss and avoids phase quantization errors, the proposed antenna can maintain a high aperture efficiency. To verify this concept, a prototype was designed, fabricated, and measured, demonstrating a successful realization of backward and forward patterns with peak gains of 22.3 and 22.1 dBi, and aperture efficiencies of 47.2% and 43.8%. The 3-dB gain bandwidths of reflected and transmitted modes are 13.7% and 12.3%. This antenna has the advantages of high gain, high aperture efficiency, simple configuration, cost-effectiveness, and flexible and digital beam control.