Characterization of Tiled Architecture for C-Band 1-Bit Beam-Steering Transmitarray

Area of Science:

• Antenna Engineering
• Electromagnetics
• Metamaterials

Background:

• Transmitarrays are crucial for beam steering and forming in modern communication systems.
• Conventional single-panel designs face limitations in flexibility and manufacturing scalability.
• Modular architectures offer potential solutions for enhanced performance and adaptability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel tiled array architecture for beam-steering transmitarrays.
• To develop and characterize a compact circuit model for the tiled unit cell.
• To compare the performance of the tiled transmitarray with conventional single-panel designs.

Main Methods:

• Development of a tiled array architecture with standalone, hard-wireable pixel units.
• Full-wave electromagnetic simulations for characterizing the compact circuit model of the unit cell.
• Fabrication and waveguide measurements of prototype unit cells and C-band transmitarrays.
• Benchmarking performance against a conventional single-panel (unibody) counterpart.

Main Results:

• A compact circuit model for the tiled unit cell was proposed and validated through simulations and measurements.
• A 10 × 10-element 1-bit beam-steering transmitarray using the tiled architecture was designed and tested.
• Prototypes demonstrated close performance to single-panel designs, with good agreement between simulations and experimental results.
• Fabrication tolerances showed a weak effect on the overall performance of the tiled transmitarray.

Conclusions:

• The proposed tiled array architecture provides a viable and flexible alternative for beam-steering transmitarrays.
• The modular design facilitates specific transmission characteristics and broad spatial beam control.
• This technology holds significant promise for advanced applications, particularly in fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication systems.