A Wide-Angle and PON Fully Polarimetric Retrodirective Array at the X Band

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Electromagnetics
• Antenna Theory

Background:

• Retrodirective arrays (RDAs) are crucial for self-steering and self-adaptive antenna systems.
• Existing RDAs often have limitations in handling arbitrary polarization states of incident waves.
• The need for polarization-agile antennas is growing in advanced radar and communication systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a new type of fully polarimetric retrodirective array (RDA) capable of handling arbitrary incident polarizations.
• To investigate the performance characteristics, including beam width and retrodirectivity, of the proposed RDA.
• To explore the potential applications of this novel RDA in wireless communications.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel PON-type structure for the fully polarimetric RDA.
• Integration of phase conjugation circuits to process x, y, and z polarization electric field components.
• Utilizing a tri-polarized antenna array for comprehensive polarization handling.
• Measurement of monostatic radar cross-section (RCS) to evaluate beam width and retrodirectivity at 9.6 GHz.

Main Results:

• The proposed fully polarimetric RDA successfully receives and retransmits arbitrary polarized incident waves.
• Measured -5 dB beam width exceeded 95° at 9.6 GHz for various incident polarizations.
• The RDA exhibited enhanced retrodirectivity performance with a wide-beam antenna for arbitrary polarizations.

Conclusions:

• The novel PON-type fully polarimetric RDA effectively addresses the challenge of arbitrary polarization handling.
• The demonstrated wide beam width and robust retrodirectivity performance are significant advancements.
• Incorporating modulation and demodulation offers promising potential for future wireless communication systems.