Beam-Switching Antennas for 5G Millimeter-Wave Wireless Terminals

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Antenna Theory
• Wireless Communications

Background:

• Beam-switching is critical for 28 GHz millimeter-wave 5G devices.
• Existing solutions may not be cost-effective for wireless terminals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and develop a cost-effective, pattern-reconfigurable leaky-wave antenna (LWA) for 5G wireless terminals.
• To achieve one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) beam-switching capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Designed a uniform half-width leaky-wave antenna (LWA) with three feed points for 1D beam switching.
• Fabricated and tested the 1D LWA, demonstrating beam switching in backward, broadside, and forward directions.
• Integrated two LWAs at right angles for 2D beam switching on a wireless device ground plane.

Main Results:

• The 1D LWA achieved 128° of 3 dB beam coverage.
• The 2D antenna system demonstrated switching in five directions.
• The 2D system achieved wide beam coverage: 167° at ϕ = 0° and 154° at ϕ = 90°.

Conclusions:

• The developed 1D and 2D beam-switching LWAs offer a cost-effective solution for 5G millimeter-wave terminals.
• The reconfigurable antennas provide wide angular coverage essential for robust wireless connectivity.
• The integration into a wireless device ground plane validates practical applicability.