Wideband wide-scanning phased array based on connected SIW cavities and slit antenna

Wideband wide-scanning phased array based on connected SIW cavities and slit antenna | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Electronics Letters This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 28 February 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Wideband wide-scanning phased array based on connected SIW cavities and slit antenna Authors : Hansen Zeng 0009-0000-1096-8670 , Zheng Xu [email protected] , Kaiming Xu 0000-0002-2394-3314 , Pengfei Zhang , and Shilong Chen Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174073526.64263233/v1 333 views 276 downloads Contents Abstract Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown This paper proposes a novel broadband wide scanning angle phased array antenna. The antenna elements are fed from the bottom via a coaxial feed, with an impedance matching network formed by a coaxial-to-stripline transition that couples to a ”I-shaped” slot antenna. The signal is transmitted through two differently sized SIW cavities, with stripline structures printed on the upper surface of the cavities to adjust the antenna’s radiation characteristics. Finally, a metasurface-based wide-angle impedance matching (MS-WAIM) layer is employed to enhance the beam scanning capability while reducing the antenna profile. The proposed element demonstrates dual-resonance behavior, with a VSWR of less than 2 across 46% of the simulated bandwidth (7.8-12.4 GHz). To form the array, adjacent elements’ open cavities are connected. When scanning in the H-plane to ±60°, the array achieves approximately 39% bandwidth (7.9-11.8 GHz) with an effective VSWR less than 2. To validate the design, a 4×4 array prototype was fabricated. In the H-plane, when scanning to ±60°, the array exhibits a bandwidth of about 38.7% (7.9-11.75 GHz), with an effective VSWR less than 2. Wideband wide-scanning phased array based on connected SIW cavities and slit antenna Hansen Zeng 1,2 , Zheng Xu 1, ✉, Kaiming Xu 1 ，Pengfei Zhang 1 , and Shilong Chen 1,2 1 Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China 2 School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China Email: [email protected] . This paper proposes a novel broadband wide scanning angle phased array antenna. The antenna elements are fed from the bottom via a coaxial feed, with an impedance matching network formed by a coaxial-to-stripline transition that couples to a ”I-shaped” slot antenna. The signal is transmitted through two differently sized SIW cavities, with stripline structures printed on the upper surface of the cavities to adjust the antenna’s radiation characteristics. Finally, a metasurface-based wide-angle impedance matching (MS-WAIM) layer is employed to enhance the beam scanning capability while reducing the antenna profile. The proposed element demonstrates dual-resonance behavior, with a VSWR of less than 2 across 46% of the simulated bandwidth (7.8-12.4 GHz). To form the array, adjacent elements’ open cavities are connected. When scanning in the H-plane to ±60°, the array achieves approximately 39% bandwidth (7.9-11.8 GHz) with an effective VSWR less than 2. To validate the design, a 4×4 array prototype was fabricated. In the H-plane, when scanning to ±60°, the array exhibits a bandwidth of about 38.7% (7.9-11.75 GHz), with an effective VSWR less than 2. Introduction: The demands of modern advanced phased array radar systems for multifunctionality, high resolution, high data rates, and operation in harsh electromagnetic environments have driven the technological advancement of phased array antennas as a core component[1]. To meet these requirements, phased array antennas must possess wide bandwidth, broad scanning range, and a low profile. In recent years, various broadband wide-angle phased array antennas based on structures such as tightly coupled dipoles, connected dipoles, conical slot antennas, and long-slot units have been extensively studied, achieving significant progress[2][3]. Although these designs have made progress in enhancing antenna bandwidth and scanning performance, practical applications still face challenges, especially in balancing the trade-offs between array bandwidth, scanning range, and profile height[4]. To overcome these challenges, planar topologies have demonstrated significant advantages. In recent years, several research teams have utilized the concept of Wheeler’s continuous current surface to achieve broadband wide-angle scanning by employing tightly coupled dipoles or connected dipole arrays. For instance, a tightly coupled dipole array (TCDA) with a frequency-selective surface covering layer [5] has been reported to achieve a 6.1:1 bandwidth and a VSWR of less than 3.2 when scanning to ±75° in the E-plane and ±60° in the H-plane. However, the main challenge in designing such arrays lies not in the radiating aperture, but in the design of the feed network, such as the compact broadband balun design[6]and lossy Wilkinson power dividers[7]. Based on this, a novel wide-angle wide scanning phased array antenna is proposed, incorporating an innovative SIW-filtered antenna element. The element consists of two differently sized substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavities, with a slot antenna printed at the bottom of the SIW cavity. The antenna surface features a wide-angle impedance matching (MS-WAIM) layer that enhances the beam scanning capability while reducing the antenna profile. The proposed SIW-filtered antenna unit offers advantages such as small volume, simple feed structure, and a flat profile. Its final dimensions are 0.64 × 0.52 λ 12 GHz ² (16 × 13 mm², where λ₁₂ GHz represents the free-space wavelength at 12 GHz). Antenna design and analysis: As shown in Figure 1, the SIW slot antenna element is divided into six parts from bottom to top. The bottom layer is the coaxial feed layer, where the signal is fed through a coaxial port and then connected to an impedance matching network formed by multi-section stripline printed on a Taconic substrate, via a coaxial-to-stripline transition. The second part is the slot antenna layer, which is excited by the stripline and etched into a ”I-shaped” slot antenna at the bottom of SIW cavity 1. The third and fourth parts are SIW cavity 1 and SIW cavity 2, which provide two different resonant points to extend the bandwidth of the antenna element. The fifth part is a parasitic stripline, and the sixth part is a metasurface impedance matching layer, which effectively reduces the surface wave effect, enhances the wide-angle scanning performance of the element, and reduces the antenna profile. Fig. 1 Layered explosion view of antenna array elements The detailed dimensional structure of the slot antenna is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2(a) illustrates the E-plane and H-plane of the antenna, while Figures 2(b) to (e) list the dimensional parameters of the antenna element, with the specific parameter values shown in Table 1. The SIW antenna unit has a unit spacing of 0.64λ₁₂ GHz in the E-plane and 0.52λ₁₂ GHz in the H-plane. not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown Fig. 2 Model total view of connected SIW cavities and slit antenna.（a）Total 3-D view （b）Top view （c）Slot antenna layer view （d）Front view （e）Stripline layer view Table 1. Optimized values of the parameters（Unit：mm）. pl 5 w 1 12 h 1 0.508 fl 1.25 w 2 4.5 h 2 0.1 j 1 w 3 0.8 h 3 2.774 l sx 3 w 4 1.5 h 4 5.868 l s 10.5 w sx 0.8 w s 0.2 ε r1 2.76 ε r2 2.2 h fr 0.1 The reflection loss (S₁₁) measurement of the designed SIW slot antenna element was conducted, as shown in Figure 3. The results indicate that the bandwidth of the back-cavity slot antenna is approximately 3.9 GHz (7.9-11.8 GHz). The scanning range is ±25° in the E-plane, ±60° in the H-plane, and ±45° in the D-plane. Fig. 3 Measured S parameters of the design antenna. Antenna coupling coefficient: The antenna element underwent three iterations in the design process. The initial version was a single SIW cavity slot antenna, which had a relatively high profile and a narrow bandwidth. To address this, a dual SIW cavity design was implemented, resulting in the second version of the antenna element model. Subsequently, to improve the scanning angle characteristics in the E-plane and H-plane, a parasitic stripline was added to the surface of the antenna, a wide-angle anti-corrosion layer was added to the top layer, further enhancing the antenna performance. The design evolution across these versions is shown in Figure 4. Fig. 4 Evolvement of the proposed antenna To ensure good impedance matching for the antenna feed network, an equivalent circuit model was constructed for the coupling between the stripline and the slot antenna. As shown in Figure 5, the coupling between the stripline and the slot antenna can be equivalently represented as a two-port circuit network model. Based on the equivalent coupling parameter Zs, the feed network was designed. Fig. 5 Equivalent circuit flow chart of antenna array As shown in Fig. 6, the dimensions of each part of the feed network are adjusted so that re(Zs) fluctuates up and down and close to 50 Ω in the range of 8-12 GHz. this represents a better impedance matching at this time and less coupling loss energy. Im(Zs) fluctuates inductively in the range of 8-12 GHz. It expands the antenna bandwidth and makes the antenna have wide bandwidth characteristics. not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown Fig. 6 The variation of the coupling coefficient Zs 4 × 4 antenna array: To validate the proposed design, a prototype 4 X 4 antenna array was fabricated and its test results are shown in Fig. 7. It can be seen that the simulation is more consistent with the measure results. Fig. 7 4 X 4 antenna array measure results In Table 2, a comparison is made between the proposed array and those from recent publications. Compared to [8], the feed structure of the proposed model is simpler and has a lower profile. Although the bandwidth of the proposed model is smaller than that of [3], it offers a E plane wider scanning range and a lower profile. In comparison with [9], the array proposed in this paper is easier to manufacture. Table 2. Comparison of state-of-the-art wideband wide-scanning array. This work 1.65:1 H-60° E-25° D-30° Coaxial feed 16×13×7 (0.64×0.52×0.28λ 2 ) [8] 1.56:1 H-60° E-70° D(N/A) balun 8×8×12 (0.33×0.33×0.5λ 2 ) [3] 2.23:1 H-50° E-50° D-50° Coaxial feed 9.25×9.25×10.1 (0.45×0.45×0.49λ 2 ) [9] 1.13:1 H-60° E-60° D(N/A) Coaxial feed 15×15×3.175 (0.53×0.53×0.11λ 2 ) Conclusion: This paper presents a novel SIW filter antenna array with a wide bandwidth and wide-angle scanning capability. By utilizing two SIW cavities of different sizes, the proposed design achieves excellent antenna performance across a wide frequency band. An equivalent circuit model for the coupling between the stripline impedance matching network and the slot antenna is established. This provides valuable guidance for the design of similar structures in the future. Ultimately, the proposed SIW filter antenna array exhibits a bandwidth of approximately 39% when scanned to ±60° in the H-plane, with an effective VSWR of less than or equal to 2. The array offers several advantages, including small size, a simple feed structure, and a wide bandwidth. Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 42327801.  2025 The Authors. Electronics Letters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Institution of Engineering and Technology This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Received: xx January 2021 Accepted: xx March 2021 doi: 10.1049/ell2.10001 References 1. Kumar Saurabh, A., Singh Rathore, P. and Kumar Meshram, M. (2020), Compact wideband four-element MIMO antenna with high isolation. Electron. Lett., 56: 117-119. 2. W.-M. Zou, S.-W. Qu, and S. Yang, “Wideband Wide-Scanning Phased Array in Triangular Lattice With Electromagnetic Bandgap Structures,” IEEE Antennas Wirel. Propag. Lett., vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 422–426, 2019. 3. W. H. Syed, D. Cavallo, H. Thippur Shivamurthy, and A. Neto, “Wideband, Wide-Scan Planar Array of Connected Slots Loaded With Artificial Dielectric Superstrates,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 64, no. 2, pp. 543–553, 2016. 4. R.-L. Xia, S.-W. Qu, S. Yang, and Y. Chen, “Wideband Wide-Scanning Phased Array With Connected Backed Cavities and Parasitic Striplines,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 66, no. 4, pp. 1767–1775, 2018. 5. E. Yetisir, N. Ghalichechian, and J. L. Volakis, “Ultrawideband Array With 70° Scanning Using FSS Superstrate,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 64, no. 10, pp. 4256–4265, 2016. 6. Y. Guan, Y.-C. Jiao, Y.-D. Yan, Y. Feng, Z. Weng, and J. Tian, “Wideband and Compact Fabry–Perot Resonator Antenna Using Partially Reflective Surfaces With Regular Hexagonal Unit,” IEEE Antennas Wirel. Propag. Lett., vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 1048–1052, 2021. 7. M. H. Novak and J. L. Volakis, “Ultrawideband Antennas for Multiband Satellite Communications at UHF–Ku Frequencies,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 1334–1341, 2015. 8. J. A. Kasemodel, C.-C. Chen, and J. L. Volakis, “Wideband Planar Array With Integrated Feed and Matching Network for Wide-Angle Scanning,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 61, no. 9, pp. 4528–4537, 2013. 9. M. H. Awida, A. H. Kamel, and A. E. Fathy, “Analysis and Design of Wide-Scan Angle Wide-Band Phased Arrays of Substrate-Integrated Cavity-Backed Patches,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 61, no. 6, pp. 3034–3041, 2013. Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 28 February 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Collection Electronics Letters Keywords antenna phased arrays antennas substrate integrated waveguides Authors Affiliations Hansen Zeng 0009-0000-1096-8670 Chinese Academy of Sciences Aerospace Information Research Institute View all articles by this author Zheng Xu [email protected] Chinese Academy of Sciences Aerospace Information Research Institute View all articles by this author Kaiming Xu 0000-0002-2394-3314 Chinese Academy of Sciences Aerospace Information Research Institute View all articles by this author Pengfei Zhang Chinese Academy of Sciences Aerospace Information Research Institute View all articles by this author Shilong Chen Chinese Academy of Sciences View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 333 views 276 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Hansen Zeng, Zheng Xu, Kaiming Xu, et al. Wideband wide-scanning phased array based on connected SIW cavities and slit antenna. 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