This article presents an innovative design technique for feeding phase antenna arrays using coherently radiating periodic structure (CORPS) technology for reducing the number of phase shifters (PSs) in limited-scan applications with low sidelobe level (SLL). The proposed configuration is implemented taking advantage of the phase interpolation property of a CORPS network of one layer. This configuration is built by interconnecting $2\times 3$ CORPS networks in a strategic way in order to provide a reduction in the number of PSs while maintaining the scanning capability. Experimental results and full-wave simulations based on CST Microwave Studio reveal that the proposed design technique reduces the recombination losses and generates a better phase slope with respect to the basic CORPS network providing a reduction in the number of PSs. As a novel contribution, this article provides the full antenna system design in order to analyze and study the PSs reduction performance and scanning capabilities of the proposed technique to feed linear antenna arrays. The proposed design technique provides a reduction in the number of PSs for a scanning range of ±25° in linear arrays. The array design model includes the application of the raised cosine amplitude distribution to generate a radiation pattern with minimum SLL. The linear array system was validated by experimental measurements of the full system prototype and full-wave simulations results are provided to verify the accuracy of the array model and to take mutual coupling into account. The proposed case provides a good design compromise with respect to other cases in the state of the art.
This paper presents the application of CORPS (coherently radiating periodic structures) for feeding CRA (concentric rings array) with a reduced number of phase shifters. The proposed design technique for the structure of concentric rings provides a better scanning capability with respect to other existing configurations. This design technique utilizes 2 × 3 or 4 × 7 CORPS networks depending on the configuration or the number of antenna elements in the phased array system. These CORPS networks are set strategically in the feeding network to provide several advantages with respect to others in the scanning capability and the reduction of the number of phase shifters of the array system. The contribution of this paper is the full antenna system design of phased CRA for analyzing scanning and the reduction of phase shifters. The proposed phased array reduces the number of phase shifter devices in CRA for a scanning range of ±25° in the elevation plane. Differential evolution (DE) was applied to optimize the amplitudes of the proposed system. Several design cases were analyzed using full-wave simulation results to verify the phased array model and to take mutual coupling into account. Full-wave simulation results provide radiation patterns with low SLL in all scanning directions. The proposed phased array was validated by experimental measurements of the full antenna system prototype.
This paper presents a new scheme of applying CORPS (coherently radiating periodic structures) for reducing the number of phase shifters in linear antenna arrays. This scheme can be seen as a combination of the properties of two techniques: CORPS and butler. The proposed system applies an interleaving of several blocks of 2 × 3 CORPS networks. This interleaving of two stages of 2 × 3 CORPS networks is made in a convenient way to provide the required progressive phase for beam-scanning and the level of amplitude excitations necessary for achieving the radiation characteristics of low SLL. Interesting results are provided based on experimental measurements and full-wave simulations to analyze and evaluate the performance of the feeding network based on CORPS and the reduction capability of the number of phase shifters in the antenna system. The proposed design methodology achieves a reduction capability of 66% in the number of phase shifters used in linear antenna arrays. This reduction in the complexity of the antenna system is reached maintaining a peak SLL of −22 dB with scanning ranges of until ±25°. A good design option is provided to simplify the complexity of the feeding network in antenna array applications.
With the arrival of 5G wireless communication systems, there has been increased interest in exploring higher frequency bands above 6 GHz, up to millimeter-wave frequencies. Radio wave propagation at these higher frequencies can suffer from substantial Doppler impairments. The linear dependency of Doppler shifts with carrier frequencies make them challenging to use in high-mobility 5G cellular scenarios. Therefore, the Doppler power spectrum (DPS) characteristics and radio channel coherence time (CT) of the received signals are of great importance for 5G wireless systems. In this way, this paper presents the effects of a narrow beam phased antenna array in reducing the DPS (due to user movement) and, simultaneously, increasing the coherence time (CT). Functional and complete descriptive assessments of beamwidths versus the DPS and CT, through different elements and geometries of the phased antenna array, are analyzed. Moreover, in terms of CT and the DPS, better performance on the 5G cellular scenarios was obtained.