A reconfigurable radial line slot array (RLSA) antenna for beam shape and broadside application

Abstract

A reconfigurable beam shape and broadside radiation pattern microstrip antenna is introduced in this paper. The antenna's radiating surface is designed using a radial line slot array (RLSA) arrangement, which is fed from an aperture coupled structure. This novel feeding structure for an RLSA antenna incorporates PIN diode switches which are integrated with the feed line structure to enable the various outcomes of the radiation patterns. The circular arrangement of slots at the radiating surface contributes to the reduction in size of the proposed antenna compared to conventional microstrip antenna that can yield the same antenna gain. The proposed antenna design operates at 2.3 GHz frequency band and has a maximum gain of 14.64 dB. It also produces a broadside radiation pattern with a wider beamwidth covering from -85° to 85° compared to the conventional microstrip antenna which could only cover from -50° to 50°. The proposed antenna has an enormous potential for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communication, WiMAX, and radar application.