Wideband Perforated Dielectric Reflectarray with High Efficiency Capability

Abstract

The paper presents a wideband dielectric reflectarray designed to achieve multiple resonances, resulting in broad operational bandwidth. The unit cell incorporates two cascaded perforated dielectric layers, each tailored for different frequencies, which contributes to the wideband structure. Specifically designed for Ku-/Ka-band applications, covering a range of frequencies from 12 GHz to 24 GHz, the unit cell uses low-loss dielectric materials, with phase compensation achieved by varying the unit cell's height and width. To simplify the aperture, 1-bit quantization is applied at the unit cell level. The dielectric structure includes an air-filled void, optimizing the design for high gain, high efficiency, and wideband performance. The reflectarray is powered by a pyramidal horn antenna, which delivers a gain of 13 dBi at 14 GHz. The reflectarray achieves a relative bandwidth of 38.8%, demonstrating its versatility across a broad frequency range. The gain at 14 GHz, 18 GHz, and 22 GHz is measured to be 26.1 dBi, 27.6 dBi, and 26.8 dBi, respectively, with respective aperture efficiencies of 47.3% at 14 GHz, 40.5% at 18 GHz, and 22.5% at 22 GHz. These performance metrics underscore the reflectarray's strong potential for applications in satellite communication and radar systems. © 2024 IEEE.