We present an efficient method to analyze a periodic pin-patch structure, consisting of two artificial dielectric layers (ADLs) connected by vertical metal pins. ADLs are made of square metal patches in a periodic lattice and have recently been used as superstrates in antennas and arrays to enhance the bandwidth and scanning range. ADLs form an anisotropic effective medium, thus enabling a large scanning volume without supporting surface waves. However, the anisotropy increases the cross-polarization (X-pol) of the antenna in the diagonal plane. This problem can be reduced by introducing vertical metal pins in the ADL superstrate to form the pin-patch structure. The analysis method is based on a spectral method of moments (MoMs) and uses entire-domain basis functions in a hybrid Cartesian and cylindrical representation to accurately model the currents on the structure and scattering parameters under general plane-wave incidence.

We present a systematic approach to include the effects of dielectric slabs in artificial dielectric layers (ADLs). Typical implementations of ADLs consist of layers of sub-wavelength metal patches supported by either dielectric slabs or thin dielectric films bonded onto foam spacers. The presence of dielectrics in the proximity of the metal layers affects the equivalent layer capacitance and thus must be accurately taken into account for the modeling and design of the ADLs. The proposed procedure allows to derive an analytical expression for the effective permittivity of each capacitive layer that depends on the dielectric layers in the vicinity of the metal. The equivalent layer capacitance can be then included in the ADL equivalent transmission line model, which can be used, for instance, for the design of matching structures in ultra-wideband arrays.

This work aims to provide guidelines on the design of wideband flat lenses based on artificial dielectric layers (ADLs). Planar lenses based on metasurfaces are typically narrowband, due to the phase wrapping over the period of 2\pi that is strongly frequency-dependent. On the contrary, true-time-delay (TTD) planar lenses, which do not resort to phase discontinuities, can achieve large bandwidths. One convenient way to design wideband TTD lenses is by means of ADLs, which are stacks of subwavelength-period patch arrays embedded in a host medium to increase its effective permittivity. Tradeoffs including bandwidth, focal ratio, lens diameter, and thickness are discussed and related to the manufacturing constraints of artificial dielectrics, such as the smallest features realizable in printed circuit board (PCB) technology, which define the maximum achievable effective permittivity. An example of design is also presented, operating from 30 to 60 GHz and experimentally validated.

A semi-analytical method is presented for the design of gradient index (GRIN) flat lenses. Closed-form expressions are derived to define the refractive index distribution of the lens, for several cases: collimating lenses with on-axis feed, collimating lenses with off-axis feed, lenses converting spherical wavefronts with different wavenumbers, lenses changing the focal number of a quasi-optical system, and Fresnel zone lenses. The design equations are validated by ray-tracing simulations in inhomogeneous media, implemented by numerical solution of the Eikonal equation.

We present an approach to design wideband arrays of connected slots with artificial dielectric layers (ADLs) that allows to take into account both matching and polarization properties. The slots are fed by parallel plate waveguides (PPW s) that are co-designed with the ADLs to realize the desired matching bandwidth. An equivalent circuit model of the unit cell is derived, including both the feed and the AD Ls, providing a fast and accurate estimation of both the active reflection coefficient and the cross-polarization level. Such model enables a tradeoff between matching and polarization efficiency already at the early stages of the design.

A review on wideband wide-scanning arrays based on connected slot elements with artificial dielectric superstrates is given. The analysis method to evaluate the active input impedance of the unit cell is described and its application to wideband array designs is discussed. Design examples reaching up to 10:1 bandwidth are presented, including experimental results from prototypes. The typical achieved performance is compared with the state-of-the-art. Aspects such as cross-polarization levels and finite edge effects are also discussed.

We present an analytical model to describe arrays of connected slots fed by parallel plate waveguides (PPWs). Connected slot arrays are planar ultra-wideband arrays with wide scanning capability. PPW feeds can be used to reduce the complexity of the unit cell design. However, existing analytical expressions of the active input impedance of the array cannot account for the presence of PPWs. Here, we develop a new model that includes PPW structures in the stratification, enabling the optimization of the design together with the feed. An equivalent circuit of the unit cell is derived, where the PPW sections are represented in terms of equivalent transmission lines for each Floquet mode. Closed-form expressions are also derived for the capacitance associated with step discontinuities of the PPW and the inductance associated with the feed. Full-wave simulations are used to validate the model.

The characteristic cross-polarization (X-pol) of wide angle impedance matching (WAIM) structures is investigated. The study considers an ideal linearly polarized current sheet in the presence of various dielectric and artificial dielectric superstrates, analyzed using transmission line models representing the stratified media. The main mechanism that causes increased X-pol is highlighted and linked to the anisotropy of the superstrate. We then propose an approach to reduce the X-pol by including vertical vias within the WAIM dielectrics, to control the vertical component of the permittivity tensor. The intrinsic X-pol performance of a set of artificial dielectric layers (ADLs) with and without vias is experimentally verified by placing the WAIM above an open-ended waveguide that acts as a linearly polarized source. The proposed WAIM with vias can be used in wideband wide-scanning array designs to improve polarization purity.

We present a dual-polarized connected array of slots with an artificial dielectric layer (ADL) radome for mobile communication applications operating in the sub-6 GHz and the upper 6 GHz bands of 5G. The radiating slots are combined with two interchangeable ADL radomes with different thicknesses, targeting the bands 6-8 and 2-8 GHz, respectively. This highlights the main property of the ADL radome, which realizes an impedance transformer whose bandwidth is proportional to the height of the structure. Moreover, the ADL anisotropy allows for wide scanning, up to 60° in the main planes for both radomes, without scan blindness. An $8\,\, \times \,\, 8$ prototype array has been manufactured and tested with the two ADL radomes. The measured results of the active voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) and the radiation patterns are reported to validate the design.

In this work, we investigate antenna architectures to implement dual-mode operation in phased array designs. Planar slot antenna elements are used in array configuration, in combination with artificial dielectrics layers (ADLs) located in the close proximity of the array, to achieve pattern shaping. The artificial dielectric superstrate supports the propagation of leaky waves that can be optimized to enhance the gain in a specific angular region or to enlarge the array field of view. By controlling the amplitude and phase of the antenna elements, the radiation patterns can be combined to realize either wide or narrow beams. This concept present advantages for both millimeter-wave (mm-wave) communication and radar applications. A design of a four-element array fabricated in standard printed circuit board (PCB) technology validates the feasibility of the dual-mode operation. The measured results also show good agreement with simulations.

This article presents the development of a focal plane array (FPA) for terahertz imaging applications with a near diffraction-limited resolution achieved through a very tight sampling of the focal plane. The antenna array is integrated with direct detectors in a 22-nm CMOS technology and operates from 200 to 600 GHz. The tight sampling of the focal plane is realized by using a combination of leaky-wave radiation and a dual-polarized connected array configuration that closely resembles a chessboard. By utilizing both the polarizations in the chessboard design, the number of array elements per unit area is effectively doubled. The geometry of the chessboard array was co-optimized together with that of a silicon elliptical lens to achieve both high aperture efficiency and beam overlap. Measurements in the WR2.2 band of a fabricated demonstrator showed that an aperture efficiency of −4.1 dB was realized at 400 GHz. The average gain roll-off between two diagonally adjacent array elements was measured to be −1.5 dB at 400 GHz. Compared to the reference configuration of an idealized, equivalently sampled hexagonal FPA, the improvement in gain at the edge of coverage yields 1.2 dB, which includes 1.9 dB of ohmic losses in the chessboard array. The agreement between measurements and simulations proved to be within 1 dB from 325 to 475 GHz.

Artificial Dielectric Layers (ADLs) have recently been exploited to improve the radiation and impedance performance of integrated antennas at millimeter wave (mmWave) and terahertz (THz) frequencies. The ADLs are composed by layers of sub-wavelength periodic metal patches that can be arranged within a host medium to synthesize an equivalent anisotropic material. Thanks to the availability of closed-form expressions for the modeling, ADLs can be conveniently designed to realize matching layers and impedance transformers when used in the closed proximity of antennas, to improve their bandwidth and the front-to-back ratio. An overview of different applications that benefit from this concept is given. Moreover, recent developments on the use of ADLs for wideband flat lenses are described.

In this study, an efficient power combiner for mm-wave frequency transmitters is investigated. The combiner is based on a parallel plate waveguide (PPW) excited with multiple parallel feeds. The Doherty power combiner scheme is also integrated in the proposed concept, to increase the efficiency of the amplifiers when implementing amplitude modulation. The advantage of the proposed PPW combiner with respect to other concepts, for example, the ones based on substrate-integrated waveguide, is the wider bandwidth and the scalability to an arbitrary number of inputs. Measured results from a demonstrator realised in standard printed circuit board technology are presented. Two variations of the combiner are implemented, one terminated with a 50 Ω coaxial output, and another integrated with an antenna. In the latter case, the waveguide is folded so that both the power combiner and the antenna fit within a half wavelength size, and thus would be compatible with a dense antenna array implementation.

Low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellations are revolutionizing the world of satellite communication (Satcom), providing new opportunities to manufacturers and operators and enabling innovative and attractive services to users.

The number of independent links that can be hosted by an antenna platform for Line-of-Sight (LoS) communications is limited by its physical size and the interference between the beams associated with different users. For large-size platforms, the interference can be reduced by compromising the aperture efficiency, and this trade-off is the metric to quantify the effective use of the platform. This metric fails for antenna platforms that are not electrically large, for which the aperture efficiency is no longer a useful parameter. Here we resort to the concept of the Observable Field, related to the maximum theoretical directivity, to estimate the potential number of independent links supported by moderate-size platforms. This allows the introduction of coupling coefficients between the beams associated with the observable portion of the incident field and the beams associated with the receiving antennas. These coefficients are bounded to unity for any platform dimension, unlike the aperture efficiency, and they are maximized when the antenna pattern is equal to the pattern predicted by the Observable Field. Accordingly, selecting beams dictated by the Observable Field constitutes a benchmark for the effective use of the volume. Any antenna design can be compared to this benchmark to assess its merits.

This communication proposes a broadband and efficient integrated focal plane array solution based on a near-field focused connected array of slots. The focused aperture provides: 1) broadband and highly efficient illumination of the quasi-optical system and 2) scanning capabilities within a focusing system. The connected array antenna in turn allows for a fully integrated solution that can synthesize a focused aperture while providing broadband impedance matching. Focused connected array antennas enable the coupling to a reflector system over bandwidths in excess of one octave and with aperture efficiencies in excess of 60%. To demonstrate the concept, we present two printed circuit board (PCB) prototypes operating in the band 3-6 GHz and yielding more than 60% reflector aperture efficiency under broadside illumination and allowing to scan one beamwidth at the lowest frequency with a frequency-averaged scan loss of 0.2 dB. The feasibility of scaling this concept to THz frequencies and with dynamic beam-steering capabilities is discussed in the context of a superconducting device.

We present a study on beam coupling in radiating structures that support multiple simultaneous beams. The formation of multiple beams is relevant in modern wireless communication applications when diverse data streams can be sent from a single transmitter to users located in different directions. General expressions are provided that relate the coupling between radiated beams to the associated current distributions on the radiating aperture. When expanding the currents in terms of basis functions, the beam coupling can be also written in terms of coupling contributions due to each pair of basis functions. The analysis is applied to antenna arrays with different levels of mutual coupling between the array elements. More specifically, arrays of resonant elements, characterized by very low mutual coupling, are compared with arrays of connected elements, which are strongly coupled. We show that, even for a very high level of mutual coupling between individual array elements, it is possible to obtain orthogonal beams if the total current distributions associated with the beams are uncoupled.

A novel approach for the practical realization of the feeding lines in connected array of slots is presented. The proposed feed concept is based on a parallel-plate waveguide (PPW) structure and allows simplifying the unit cell design. When compared to the typical integrated coaxial feed, the PPW-based feeding structure can reduce the cost and complexity of the array, by resulting in a lower number of metal layers and by allowing for large diameter vias. Two examples of the unit cell design, based on this new feed concept, are presented; one consists in a single-polarized array of connected slot, covering the band from 70 to 140 GHz; another example is referring to a single- and dual-polarized connected slot array covering the 2-8 GHz range.

We present a general analysis to describe nonsquare artificial dielectric layers (ADLs). Closed-form expressions for the equivalent layer impedance are given for generic plane-wave incidence, assuming that the ADLs have different geometrical parameters in the {x}-and {y}-directions. The analytical expressions account for the interaction between the layers due to higher order Floquet modes, thus remain valid for arbitrarily small electrical distance between layers. Such nonsquare geometries allow the design of artificial anisotropic slabs with azimuth-dependent effective refractive index. As an example for an application, the equivalent model is used to design the superstrate of a double-slot antenna, with independent pattern shaping in the two main planes.