In this paper, a novel dual-band dual-polarized array antenna with low frequency ratio and integrated filtering characteristics is proposed. By employing a dual-mode stub-loaded resonator (SLR) to feed and tune with two patches, the two feed networks for each polarization can be combined, resulting in the reduction of the feed networks and the input ports. In addition, owing to the native dual resonant features of the SLR, the proposed antenna exhibits second-order filtering characteristics with improved bandwidth and out-of-band rejections. The antenna is synthesized and the design methodology is explained. The coupling coefficients between the SLR and the patches are investigated. To verify the design concept, a C-/X-band element and a $2 \times 2$ array are optimized and prototyped. Measured results agree well with the simulations, showing good performance in terms of bandwidth, filtering, harmonic suppression, and radiation at both bands. Such an integrated array design can be used to simplify the feed of a reflector antenna. To prove the concept, a paraboloid reflector fed by the proposed array is conceived and measured directivities of 24.6 dBi (24.7 dBi) and 28.6 dBi (29.2 dBi) for the X-polarization (Y-polarization) are obtained for the low- and high-band operations, respectively.
17 August 2017 in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation
A novel method of achieving a single-feed circularly polarized (CP) microstrip antenna with both broad impedance bandwidth and axial ratio (AR) bandwidth is presented. The CP characteristics are generated by employing a resonator to excite the two orthogonal modes of the patch via two coupling paths and the required 90° phase difference is achieved by using the different orders of the two paths. The presented method, instead of conventional methods that power dividers and phase delay lines are usually required, not only significantly enhances the bandwidths of the antenna but also results in a compact feed, reduced loss and high gain. Based on this method, a dual-band shared-aperture CP array antenna is implemented for C-/X-band satellite communications. The antenna aperture includes a 2 × 2 array at C-band and a 4 × 4 array at X-band. To accommodate the C-X-band elements into the same aperture while achieving a good isolation between them, the C-band circular patches are etched at the four corners. The measured results agree well with the simulations, showing a wide impedance bandwidth of 21% and 21.2% at C-band and X-band, respectively. The C-band and X-band 3 dB AR bandwidths are 13.2% and 12.8%. The array also exhibits a high aperture efficiency of over 55%, low sidelobe (C-band: -12.5 dB and X-band: -15 dB), and high gain (C-band: 14.5 dBic and X-band: 17.5 dBic).
29 October 2015 in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation
A novel design concept of multimode filtering antenna, which is realized by integrating a multimode resonator and an antenna, has been applied to the design of dual-polarized antenna arrays for achieving a compact size and high performance in terms of broad bandwidth, high-frequency selectivity and out-of-band rejection. To verify the concept, a 2×2 array at C-band is designed and fabricated. The stub-loaded resonator (SLR) is employed as the feed of the antenna. The resonant characteristics of SLR and patch as well as the coupling between them are presented. The method of designing the integrated resonator-patch module is explained. This integrated design not only removes the need for separated filters and traditional 50 -Ω interfaces but also improves the frequency response of the module. A comparison with the traditional patch array has been made, showing that the proposed design has a more compact size, wider bandwidth, better frequency selectivity, and out-of-band rejection. Such low-profile light weight broadband dual-polarized arrays are useful for space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and wireless communication applications. The simulated and measured results agree well, demonstrating a good performance in terms of impedance bandwidth, frequency selectivity, isolation, radiation pattern, and antenna gain.
16 May 2016 in IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
In this paper, a new design of an antenna array with integrated functions of filtering, harmonics suppression, and radiation is proposed. The device employs a multi-port network of coupled resonators, which is synthesized and designed as a whole to fulfill the functions of filtering, power combination/division, and radiation. The 50-Ω interfaces between the cascaded filter, power divider, and antenna in traditional RF front-ends are eliminated to achieve a highly integrated and compact structure. A novel resonator-based four-way out-of-phase filtering power divider is proposed and designed. It is coupled to the patch array, rendering a fourth-order filtering response. The coupling matrix of the resonator network is synthesized. The physical implementations of the resonators and their couplings are detailed. Compared to a traditional patch array, the integrated filtering array shows an improved bandwidth and frequency selectivity. In addition, the harmonic of the antenna array is suppressed due to the use of different types of resonators. To verify the concept, a 2×2 filtering array at S-band is designed, prototyped, and tested. Good agreement between simulations and measurements has been achieved, demonstrating the integrated filtering antenna array has the merits of wide bandwidth, high frequency selectivity, harmonics suppression, stable antenna gain, and high polarization purity.
1 June 2016 in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation
A novel design of a dual-band antenna with integrated filtering performance is proposed. A low-profile aperture-coupled U-slot patch antenna is employed for the dual-band operation with a uniform polarization, which is fed by a dual-mode stub-loaded resonator (SLR). The U-slot patch works as a dual-mode resonator of the dual-band filter as well as the radiation element. The odd- and even-modes of the SLR are coupled and tuned with the U-slot patch, generating two second-order operation bands at 3.6 and 5.2 GHz. Compared with the traditional patch antenna, the proposed antenna exhibits improved bandwidth and frequency selectivity. In addition, the bandwidths can be controlled by adjusting the coupling strength between the SLR and the patch. Furthermore, the higher order harmonics can be suppressed over a broadband without increasing the footprint of the design. The measured and simulated results agree well with each other, showing excellent performance in terms of impedance matching, bandwidths, second-order filtering, out-of-band rejection, cross-polarization discrimination, and gains at both the bands.
24 October 2012 in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology
This paper demonstrates a two-layer SU8 photoresist micromachining technology that has similar performance to conventionally machined metal. The technology is demonstrated in the WR-3 band (220-325 GHz). Three different WR-3 band circuits, namely a WR-3 band straight through waveguide, a bandpass filter and a dual-band filter are demonstrated. For the measurements, a conventionally precision machined metal block was used for the WR-3 band waveguide and the bandpass filter to achieve good calibration and accurate interconnection with standard waveguide flanges; whereas, for the dual-band filter, two back-to-back right-angle bends are added in order to achieve accurate, reliable waveguide interconnection without using the metal block. A measured average insertion loss of 0.03 dB/mm has been achieved for the 14.97 mm long straight through waveguide. This is comparable to the loss of around 0.02 dB/mm for a standard metal waveguide at this frequency. The fifth-order waveguide filter exhibits an 8% 3 dB bandwidth at a central frequency of around 300 GHz. The minimum passband insertion loss was measured to be around 1 dB and the return loss was better than 10 dB throughout the passband. The filter results showed a notable improvement over those obtained from the separate SU8 layer technique that was also used to make the same devices for comparison. To further demonstrate the advantages of the new two-layer SU8 micromachining technique, the dual-band filter included isolated regions in the waveguide channels that would have not been possible for micromachining using the previous separate single layer technique. The performance of the micromachined dual band filter was excellent in terms of very low insertion losses on both passbands.