Electronically Controllable Varactor Loaded Beam Switchable 4-Element Array Antenna for Sub-6 GHz Application
In this paper, we present a 4-element varactor loaded switched beam array antenna, which is configured using a switch-line phase shifting mechanism and varactor diodes in the Sub-6 GHz band ranging from 5.8 to 6.6 GHz. A discrete beam steering at <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="La...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IEEE
2025-01-01
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| Series: | IEEE Access |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10924225/ |
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| Summary: | In this paper, we present a 4-element varactor loaded switched beam array antenna, which is configured using a switch-line phase shifting mechanism and varactor diodes in the Sub-6 GHz band ranging from 5.8 to 6.6 GHz. A discrete beam steering at <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pm ~30{^{\circ}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is aimed to achieve by employing switch-line phase shifters into the feed, whereas a continuous beam steering around <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pm ~30{^{\circ}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is accomplished by using varactor diodes. The one-to-four-way corporate feeding network is used for the array which is connected through an aperture-coupled feeding system. The design is first validated using HFSS (High-Frequency Structure Simulator), confirming the discrete beam steering at <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pm ~24{^{\circ}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, with continuous steering possible between <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pm ~22{^{\circ}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pm ~30{^{\circ}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. The discrete steering is found to be in agreement with measurements showing steering of +26° and -28°, which were close to its simulated outcomes i.e., <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pm ~24{^{\circ}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. The performance of this design, validated by HFSS simulations and “anechoic chamber” measurements are found in good agreement, with the broadside beam gain of 7.02 dBi with a Front-to-Back ratio of 17.71 dBi. This design can serve itself as a good candidate as a sub-unit for 5G base stations through hybrid beam forming. |
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| ISSN: | 2169-3536 |