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，移动通信中未来的空间多路复用方法需要灵活的天线，这使得永久确保移动站和基站之间的连接成为可能。具有电子可控波束导向的群天线是上述应用的重要组成部分。与机械波束控制的天线相比，它们具有更轻、更紧凑的设计和易于集成的优势。所有群天线都有一个问题，那就是从侧面的增益会减少。这是由单个天线单元的相位分配、几何排列和方向特性所给出的各个天线单元的场的叠加引起的。在本研究项目中，首次研究了一种无需使用群天线或反射天线即可调整辐射方向的天线概念。这个想法是基于一个具有可重构光圈的平行板透镜。电子控制的基础是液晶，液晶是通过一个Rexolite容器在弯曲的平行板环境中使用，并通过一个偏置网络进行控制。这种天线的可行性将用v波段的演示器进行评估。

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.