In this paper, a novel digitally reconfigurable unit-cell and $4\times 4$ transmitarray operating at X-band is proposed that allows the implementation of beamforming and polarization conversion operations in a programmable way. The lower layer of transmitarray responsible for beam steering consists of two PIN diodes and a circular type patch which has two states of operations with 0 and $\pi $ phase responses which we name “State1” and “State2”. “State1” and “State2” can be represented by a digital notation as “1” and “0” elements. Similarly, the upper layer of the transmitarray responsible for polarization conversion operation consists of two states of operation which we name as “State3” and “State4”, respectively. “State3” and “State4” also can be represented by digital notations as “1” or “0” elements. By coding “0” and “1” elements for the lower side of the transmitarray in a 1-bit sequence, we can steer the beam in our desired direction. Similarly, by coding “0” and “1” elements in a 1-bit sequence element for the upper layer, we can get X-polarized and Y-polarized beams. Combining the upper layer 1-bit sequence and lower layer 1-bit sequence, we can get both polarization conversion and beam steering simultaneously. A $4\times 4$ array with our proposed unit cell was designed and fabricated. A good agreement between simulated and measured results was observed. The proposed design is a promising concept because it can be fabricated using the conventional fabrication process, it is cost-effective compared to conventional phased array antenna for satellite and radar applications. A $4\times 4$ array was taken just to check the transmission and reflection coefficients of the proposed unit cells. A very small transmitarray was manufactured and experimentally characterized just as a proof of concept, to verify that the unit cells work properly.

This paper presents an absorptive/transmissive frequency selective structure based on fiber-reinforced composite materials with adequate mechanical stability for naval ships, aircrafts, and other modes of applications. The proposed design achieved mechanical and electromagnetic stability with a) a fractal-loop-based resistive sheet that realizes broadband absorption characteristics, b) a four-legged element frequency selective surface (FSS) with bandpass-type characteristics, and c) a foam-core sandwich type e-glass /epoxy laminate. Despite the fact that the eleven-layer absorptive/transmissive FSS (AFSS) structure was associated with several performance degrading factors, such as dielectric layer losses, and losses arising from the use of multiple lumped elements (i.e., tolerance, solder joint effects), the performance of proposed design was confirmed via simulations that it had a low-transmission compound loss of 1.2 dB at the passband of 7.78 GHz and an absorption performance of 90% in the frequency range of 1.77–5.59 GHz. Following its fabrication and based on experimental measurement, it was verified that its response was very similar to the design outcome.

To reduce the electromagnetic wave interference caused by cavity resonance or electromagnetic wave leakage, herein, an optical transparent radar absorbing structure (RAS) was designed using transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) with a high optical transmittance and electrical conductivity, and a procedure was proposed for detecting possible defects in the fabrication and operation and for assessing the influence of the defects on the electromagnetic performance. To detect locally occurring defects in planar and three-dimensional absorbing structures, a measurement system based on an open-ended near-field antenna capable of producing small beam spots at a close distance was constructed. Moreover, the reflection characteristics of the transparent RAS were derived from a simplified multiple reflection equation, and the derived results were compared with the analysis results of an equivalent circuit model to predict the surface resistance of the TCO coating layer, based on which the presence of defects could be confirmed. By using the experimental results, the predicted surface resistance results of the coating layer and the results measured using a non-contact sheet resistance meter were compared and were found to correspond, thereby confirming the effectiveness of the proposed defect detection method.

This study designed a multi-functional reconfigurable transmitarray with switchable polarization and beam steering capabilities using only a PIN diode having ON/OFF switching ability. The simulation confirmed that the proposed architecture is capable of 2D beam scanning of up to ±45° for elevation and azimuth while maintaining or converting linear polarization when operating within the X-band. The performance was verified through a far-field beam pattern measurement using the near-field antenna measurement system by producing a transmitarray with an 8 × 8 unit cell arrangement. The maximum level of gain of the proposed architecture was confirmed to be 14.5 dBi, the sidelobe level was below 14.5 dBc, the polarization converting loss was below 1.28 dB, and the polarization isolation level was above 14.7 dB. It can be utilized for the design technique of a radar system demanding small size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) characteristics based on a simplified composition.

In this paper, a miniaturized multifunctional unit cell structure of a transmitarray operating at S-band and its verification method using a waveguide structure is presented. The unit cell of a multifunctional transmitarray antenna is a critical component because it controls the phase and polarization of an incident wave. The proposed unit cell consists of three main parts: an Rx antenna, a Tx antenna, and a control circuit for phase and polarization. The performance of the designed unit cell is verified by a rectangular waveguide structure. The waveguide structure feeds an electromagnetic wave propagating in a TE10 mode to a 1 × 2 unit cell array to verify polarization and phase shifting capability of the unit cell. The phase shifting and polarization conversion capabilities of the proposed unit cell are directly measured by the radiation patterns and polarization of the transmitted wave.

In this paper, an electronically reconfigurable polarization converter unit cell operating at X-band is proposed. The polarization converter unit cell consists of a passive patch, a phase shifter, and an active patch. There are two PIN diodes on the active patch. By switching the bias conditions of those PIN diodes, an electronically reconfigurable polarization converter is conceived. Both the passive and active patches are circular, and there are circular types of slots on both patches to enhance the operating bandwidth. To compensate for the capacitance introduced by PIN diodes, an equivalent capacitance structure is introduced on the active patch. 2 × 2 unit cells are designed to check the performance of the unit cell for polarization conversion applications. In addition, a novel type of experimental characterization technique is proposed to check the performance of polarization conversion using 2 × 2 unit cells. Two WR-90 waveguide sections, two rectangular to square sections, and a power supply are taken for the measurements. The rectangular to square waveguide transition section is designed in such a way so that 2 × 2 unit cells can be perfectly adjusted on the transition section and the performance of the 2 × 2 unit cells can be measured. The simulation results of the 8 × 8 array are also added to a miniaturized X-band horn antenna to check the performance of the overall array.