A dielectric embedded reflectarray for high-power microwave application.

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics and Antenna Engineering
• Metamaterials and Metasurfaces
• High-Power Microwave Systems

Background:

• Traditional high-power microwave (HPM) antennas face challenges with large axial size and vacuum packaging requirements.
• Existing designs often limit operational flexibility and increase manufacturing complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and fabricate a dielectric embedded metasurface reflectarray antenna (DEMRA) that addresses the limitations of conventional HPM antennas.
• To achieve high power handling capacity and wide-range beam scanning capabilities in an open-air operational environment.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of a dielectric into the antenna element design to reduce axial size.
• Fabrication of a prototype DEMRA operating at 10 GHz.
• Low-power experimental verification and comparison with simulation results.

Main Results:

• The DEMRA demonstrates a power handling capacity of 1 GW/m² and can operate in open-air conditions without vacuum sealing.
• Achieved free regulation of the radiation beam within a 90° cone angle.
• Experimental results confirm a bandwidth exceeding 600 MHz, aperture efficiency above 48.98%, side lobe level below -15 dB, and cross-polarization below -15 dB.

Conclusions:

• The developed DEMRA effectively solves the axial size and packaging issues of HPM antennas.
• The antenna exhibits excellent performance characteristics, including high power handling, wide scanning range, and good efficiency.
• The DEMRA is a promising solution for advanced HPM applications requiring robust and flexible antenna systems.