Modulated Metasurface Antennas for Space: Synthesis, Analysis and Realizations

TLDR

These antennas operate by coupling a cylindrical surface‑wave excited by an isotropic TM radiator with a spatially modulated metasurface, offering lightweight and compact design—features attractive for space applications. The study introduces design and analysis methods for planar antennas using modulated metasurfaces, including a novel impedance‑based amplitude synthesis of the aperture field distribution, and demonstrates several new space‑application antenna examples. The authors realize the metasurface by printing sub‑wavelength patches on a grounded slab, and develop design and analysis methods for planar antennas based on these modulated metasurfaces. The paper demonstrates that the impedance‑based amplitude synthesis yields several new antenna designs suitable for space applications, as validated in recent European Space Agency projects.

Abstract

This paper presents design and analysis methods for planar antennas based on modulated metasurfaces (MTSs). These antennas operate on an interaction between a cylindrical surface-wave (SW) excited by an isotropic TM radiator, and an MTS having a spatially modulated equivalent impedance. The MTS is realized by using sub-wavelength patches printed on a grounded slab, thus resulting in a structure with light weight and compact volume. Both features are appealing characteristics for space applications. This paper introduces for the first time an impedance-based amplitude synthesis of the aperture field distribution and shows several new examples of antennas for space applications obtained in recent research projects financed by the European Space Agency.