Shaping Bessel beams using source-integrated folded reflectarray

Abstract

This Letter proposes a highly integrated reflection-type approach to generate non-diffracting Bessel beams using a source-integrated folded reflectarray antenna (FRA). The FRA not only transforms spherical waves radiated by the feeding source to conical waves but also directly produces Bessel beams by specifying the phase distribution of reflectarray elements. To validate this approach, a millimeter-wave zero-order Bessel beam generator and a conventional collimated beam structure are analyzed, designed, fabricated, and measured. Good agreement among theoretical analysis, full-wave simulation, and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed FRA successfully generates non-diffracting Bessel beams and, moreover, the reflectarray elements are fully integrated with the feeding source in the same low-cost single-layered printed circuit board.