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Metasurface-based ultra-lightweight high-gain off-axis flat parabolic reflectarray for microwave beam
Sinhara R Silva1, Abdur Rahman2,3, Wilton de Melo Kort-Kamp4
1Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS K771, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA. s_rishi_s@lanl.gov.
Scientific Reports
|December 14, 2019
Summary
Metasurface reflectarrays offer ultra-lightweight, high-gain solutions for small satellite communications. These flat antennas achieve parabolic focusing, enabling advanced deployable transceivers for space applications.
Area of Science:
- Applied electromagnetics and materials science.
- Antenna engineering for space applications.
Background:
- Small satellites require compact, lightweight, high-gain antennas due to size, weight, and power constraints.
- Traditional parabolic dish antennas are bulky and unsuitable for small satellite platforms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and demonstrate ultra-lightweight, flat, off-axis reflectarrays using metasurfaces for microwave beam collimation and focusing.
- To enable high-gain communication capabilities for small satellite transceivers.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing metasurfaces with variable-sized resonators to achieve a full 2π phase range.
- Arranging resonators to create a two-dimensional parabolic focusing phase distribution.
- Fabricating and measuring a 30° off-axis focusing reflectarray prototype.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a 30° off-axis reflectarray with a measured gain of 27.5 dB at 11.8 GHz.
- Achieved a 3 dB directionality of approximately 1.6°.
- Full-wave simulations confirmed high gain and focusing functionality, aligning well with measurements.
Conclusions:
- Metasurface-based reflectarrays provide a viable solution for lightweight, high-gain antennas in small satellite communication systems.
- These antennas enable low-cost, deployable transceivers, advancing capabilities for future space missions.
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