Polarization Reconfigurable Corner Truncated Square Microstrip Array Antenna

Abstract

In this paper, a simple 2 × 2 polarization reconfigurable planar microstrip array antenna is presented. It is based on electrical switching technology using PIN diodes. Each element of the array is excited with the aid of the corporate feed technique. Each element of the proposed structure consists of a corner truncated square patch connected to parasitic triangular conductors by means of PIN diodes. The array element is configured to facilitate linear polarization (LP), right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) or left-hand circular polarization (LHCP) by means of 4 independently biased PIN diodes. The proposed antenna is designed and simulated using electromagnetic simulation software CST Microwave Studio. In order to experimentally validate the design, a prototype is fabricated on a 1.6 mm thick RT Duroid substrate of relative permittivity ϵr = 2.2. The performance of the antenna is validated experimentally using 16 PIN diodes. The simulation and measured results for all the polarization states of the array antenna are found to be in good agreement. The measured results have established the polarization reconfigurable ability of the antenna for 5.7–6.0 GHz operating band. The proposed antenna is suitable for C-band point-to-point communication applications.