Feasibility Study of an Antenna with Electronically Reconfigurable Aperture

电子可控天线是未来通信系统的重要组成部分。例如，在移动的通信中，未来的空间复用方法需要灵活天线，这使得永久地确保移动的站和基站之间的连接成为可能。具有电子可控波束转向的群天线是上述应用的重要组成部分。与具有机械波束控制的天线相比，它们具有相当轻和更紧凑的设计的优点，并且可以容易地集成。所有组天线的问题是远离宽边的增益减小。这是由各个天线元件的场的叠加引起的，其由各个天线元件的相位分配、几何布置和方向特性给出。在这个研究项目中，第一次研究了一种天线概念，其中可以在不使用天线组或反射阵列的情况下调整辐射方向。这个想法是基于一个平行板透镜与可重构的光圈。电子控制的基础是液晶，其通过Rexolite容器在弯曲的平行板环境中使用，并通过偏置网络控制。这种天线的可行性将在V波段用演示器进行评估。

Electronically controllable antennas are an important component for future communications systems. For example, agile antennas are required for future space multiplexing methods in mobile communications, which makes it possible to permanently ensure a connection between a mobile station and a base station. Group antennas with electronically controllable beam steering are an important component for the above mentioned applications. Compared to antennas with mechanical beam steering, they have the advantage of a considerably lighter and more compact design and can be easily integrated. A problem with all group antennas is the reduction of the gain away from broadside. This is caused by the superimposition of the fields of the individual antenna elements, which is given by the phase assignment, the geometrical arrangement and the directional characteristics of the individual antenna elements. In this research project, an antenna concept is being investigated for the first time, in which the radiation direction can be adjusted without using a group antenna or a reflectarray. The idea is based on a parallel plate lens with reconfigurable aperture. The basis for the electronic control are liquid crystals, which are used by means of a Rexolite container in a curved parallel plate environment and are controlled with a biasing network. The feasibility of such an antenna is to be evaluated with a demonstrator in the V-band.