Reflectarray

• US 7,868,829 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2008
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Sievenpiper, Daniel F., Colburn, Joseph S., Mehta, Sarabjit
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hoang V
• Application Number:
  US12/053,127
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/745, 343/754, 343/755, 343/756, 343/767, 343/770, 343/909
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/46 Active lenses or reflecting arrays

Abstract

A reflectarray is disclosed. The reflectarray includes a first array of conductive patches supported by a substrate, wherein each conductive patch in the first array has a first center line along a Y-direction and a second centerline along an X-direction, a plurality of first variable capacitors, wherein each first variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive patches in the first array along the first centerline, and a plurality of second variable capacitors, wherein each second variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive patches in the first array along the second centerline.

Claims

1. A reflectarray for use in combination with a spaced apart antenna feed element, the reflectarray reflecting energy at first and second different frequencies to and/or from said antenna feed element, the reflectarray comprising:

a first array of conductive patches supported by a substrate, wherein each conductive patch in the first array has a first center line along a Y-direction and a second centerline along an X-direction, the conductive patches each having a length dimension and a width dimension, the length dimension being algebraically related to said first frequency and the width dimension being algebraically related to said second frequency for reflecting energy impinging the patches of said first array (i) at said first and second different frequencies and (ii) with different polarizations;

a plurality of first variable capacitors, wherein each first variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive patches in the first array along the first centerline; and

a plurality of second variable capacitors, wherein each second variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive patches in the first array along the second centerline.

2. The reflectarray according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second array of conductive patches supported by the substrate, wherein each patch from the second array is disposed adjacent to at least one patch in the first array, wherein each conductive patch in the second array has a third center line along a Y-direction and a fourth centerline along an X-direction;

a plurality of third variable capacitors, wherein each third variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive patches in the second array along the third centerline; and

a plurality of fourth variable capacitors, wherein each fourth variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive patches in the second array along the fourth centerline.

3. The reflectarray according to claim 2, wherein the conductive patches in the first array and the conductive patches in the second array form a unit cell.

4. The reflectarray according to claim 3, wherein the unit cells are separated by a distance between ½

λ

to 1λ

wavelength of the energy to be reflected by the reflectarray.

5. The reflectarray according to claim 2, wherein the conductive patches of the first array and the conductive patches of the second array are disposed on the substrate.

6. The reflectarray according to claim 2, wherein the conductive patches of the first array and the conductive patches of the second array are separated by a dielectric layer.

7. The reflectarray according to claim 2, wherein the variable capacitors from the plurality of first variable capacitors and the variable capacitors from the plurality of second variable capacitors are asymmetrically coupled to the first array of conductive patches.

8. The reflectarray according to claim 7, wherein the variable capacitors from the plurality of third variable capacitors and the variable capacitors from the plurality of fourth variable capacitors are asymmetrically coupled to the second array of conductive patches.

9. The reflectarray according to claim 2, wherein at least one of conductive patches in the first array of conductive patches defines at least one slot.

10. The reflectarray according to claim 9, wherein at least one of conductive patches in the second array of conductive patches defines at least one slot.

11. The reflectarray according to claim 1, wherein the conductive patches in the first array are separated by a distance between ½

λ

to 1λ

wavelength of the energy to be reflected by the reflectarray.

12. The reflectarray according to claim 1, wherein the first array of conductive patches are substantially rectangular or substantially oval.

13. The reflectarray according to claim 1, wherein at least one of conductive patches in the first array of conductive patches defines at least one slot.

14. The reflectarray according to claim 1, further comprising at least one parasitic element adjacent to one of the conductive patches in the first array of conductive patches.

15. The reflectarray according to claim 14, wherein at least one variable capacitor is coupled to the at least one parasitic element and the adjacent one of the conductive patches in the first array of conductive patches.

16. The reflectarray according to claim 1, wherein variable capacitors are diodes, varactor diodes or MEMS capacitors.

17. The reflectarray according to claim 1 wherein said first frequency is reflected from said reflectarray in a first polarization, wherein said second frequency is reflected from said reflectarray in a second polarization, and wherein said first polarization is orthogonal to said second polarization.

18. A method of making a reflectarray antenna, the method comprising:

directing an antenna feed element towards a reflectarray, the reflectarray reflecting energy at first and second different frequencies to and/or from said antenna feed element;

forming said reflectarray of a first array of conductive patches on a substrate, wherein each conductive patch in the first array has a first center line along a Y-direction and a second centerline along an X-direction, the conductive patches each having a length dimension and a width dimension, the length dimension being algebraically related to said first frequency and the width dimension being algebraically related to said second frequency;

coupling each first variable capacitor of a plurality of first variable capacitors to one of the conductive patches in the first array along the first centerline; and

coupling each second variable capacitor of a plurality of second variable capacitors to one of the conductive patches in the first array along the second centerline.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

forming a second array of conductive patches on the substrate, wherein patches from the second array are formed substantially orthogonally to the patches in the first array, wherein each conductive patch in the second array has a third center line along a Y-direction and a fourth centerline along an X direction, the conductive patches of the second array each having a length dimension and a width dimension, the length dimension being algebraically related to a third frequency and the width dimension being algebraically related to a forth frequency, the third and forth frequencies being different from each other;

coupling each third variable capacitor of a plurality of third variable capacitors to one of the conductive patches in the second array along the third centerline; and

coupling each fourth variable capacitor of a plurality of fourth variable capacitors to one of the conductive patches in the second array along the fourth centerline.

20. A reflectarray for use in combination with a spaced apart antenna feed element, the reflectarray reflecting energy at first and second different frequencies to and/or from said antenna feed element, the reflectarray comprising:

an array of conductive patches supported by a substrate, wherein each conductive patch in said array has a first centerline along a first direction and a second centerline along a second direction, the conductive patches each having a length dimension and a width dimension, the length dimension being algebraically related to said first frequency and the width dimension being algebraically related to said second frequency for reflecting energy impinging the patches of said array (i) at said first and second different frequencies and (ii) with different polarizations;

a plurality of first variable capacitors, wherein each first variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive patches in the array along the first centerline;

a plurality of parasitic elements wherein each parasitic element is disposed adjacent to each of the conductive patches in the array of conductive patches; and

a plurality of second variable capacitors, wherein each second variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the adjacent parasitic elements the second centerline.

21. A method of operating a reflectarray antenna at first and second different frequencies, the method comprising:

supporting an array of conductive patches by a substrate, wherein each conductive patch in said array has a first centerline along a first direction and a second centerline along a second orthogonal direction, the conductive patches each having a length dimension and a width dimension, the length dimension being algebraically related to said first frequency and the width dimension being algebraically related to said second frequency;

a plurality of first variable capacitors, wherein each first variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive patches in the array along the first centerline;

a plurality of second variable capacitors, wherein each second variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive patches in the array along the second centerline;

varying a voltage applied to said plurality of first variable capacitors whereby a phase of reflected energy from said reflectarray is polarized along a first direction is thereby varied; and

varying a voltage applied to said plurality of second variable capacitors whereby a phase of reflected energy polarized along a second direction is thereby varied.

22. A reflectarray for use in combination with a spaced apart antenna feed element, the reflectarray reflecting energy at first and second different frequencies to and/or from said antenna feed element, the reflectarray comprising:

first and second arrays of conductive patches disposed by a substrate,

each conductive patch of the first array having a length dimension and a width dimension, the length dimension being longer than the width dimension and therefor having a corresponding direction of elongation, the length dimension of each conductive patch of the first array being algebraically related to said first frequency and the width dimension of each conductive patch of the first array being algebraically related to said second frequency for reflecting energy impinging the patches of said first array at said first and second different frequencies,

each conductive patch of the second array having a length dimension and a width dimension, the length dimension of the patches of the second array being longer than the width dimension of the patches of the second array and therefor having a corresponding direction of elongation,

the patches of the first array being disposed with their directions of elongation being parallel to one another,

the patches of the second array being disposed with their directions of elongation being (i) parallel to one another and (ii) orthogonal to the directions of elongation of the patches of the first array whereby the reflectarray reflects energy at said first and second different frequencies and at each of two different orthogonal directions of polarization.

23. The reflectarray according to claim 22 wherein the length dimension of each conductive patch of the second array being algebraically related to said first frequency and the width dimension of each conductive patch of the second array being algebraically related to said second frequency.

24. A reflectarray comprising:

a first array of conductive patches supported by a substrate, wherein each conductive patch in the first array has a first center line along a Y-direction and a second centerline along an X-direction;

a plurality of first variable capacitors, wherein each first variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive patches in the first array along the first centerline; and

a plurality of second variable capacitors, wherein each second variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive patches in the first array along the second centerline,

wherein the variable capacitor from the plurality of first variable capacitors and the variable capacitors from the plurality of second variable capacitors are asymmetrically coupled to the first array of conductive patches.

25. The reflectarray according to claim 24, further comprising:

a second array of conductive patches supported by the substrate, wherein each patch from the second array is disposed adjacent to at least one patch in the first array, wherein each conductive patch in the second array has a third center line along a Y-direction and a fourth centerline along an X-direction;

a plurality of third variable capacitors, wherein each third variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive patches in the second array along the third centerline; and

a plurality of fourth variable capacitors, wherein each fourth variable capacitor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive patches in the second array along the fourth centerline.

26. The reflectarray according to claim 25, wherein the variable capacitors from the plurality of first variable capacitors and the variable capacitors from the plurality of second variable capacitors are asymmetrically coupled to the first array of conductive patches.

27. The reflectarray according to claim 26, wherein the variable capacitors from the plurality of third variable capacitors and the variable capacitors from the plurality of fourth variable capacitors are asymmetrically coupled to the second array of conductive patches.