Electronically reconfigurable metamaterial for compact directive cavity antennas

Abstract

The modelling and characterisation of an electronically controllable metamaterial partially reflecting surface to a resonant cavity antenna near 8 GHz is considered. The metamaterial considered is composed of a composite phase varying metamaterial, by the insertion of active electronic components, and is proposed for the design of the reconfigurable Fabry-Perot cavity antenna. An adjustable resonance frequency between 7.9 and 8.2 GHz is obtained and a drastic enhancement in the directivity of the antenna is also observed for a cavity thickness as small as λ/75.