Beam-Steering Antenna Based on Parasitic Layer

The antenna is capable of steering its beam in three directions (ƒÆm = -30‹, 0‹, 30‹). The structure consists of a driven microstrip-fed patch element and a parasitic layer located on top of the driven patch. The upper surface of the parasitic layer has a grid of 5 ~ 5 electrically-small rectangular-shaped metallic pixels, which can be connected/disconnected by means of switching, which changes the parasitic pixel surface geometry. The electromagnetic mutual coupling between the driven patch and the parasitic pixel surface is responsible for achieving the desired beam-steering. Prototypes of the designed antennas have been fabricated to obtain ~8 dB realized-gain in all steered beam directions. (Publisher abstract modified)