Characterization of a Split Circle Element for Microstrip Reflectarrays

Abstract

A split circular element is proposed as a unit cell for reflectarray antennas. The unit cell is derived from a circle divided into four equal sectors. The radius of two oppositely located sectors is then scaled by a certain factor to form the proposed shape. The CST Microwave Studio Suite software simulator was used to investigate the performance of the proposed unit cell, which was evaluated using Floquet port excitation. The designed element's reflection phase range was compared to that of a conventional circular patch. Four scenarios of varied substrate characteristics are investigated for the antenna to establish the best performance parameters. The simulations showed that a basic substrate with a thickness of 0.16 mm and a dielectric constant of 3.2, backed by a 3 mm foam with a dielectric constant of 1.05 and a scaling factor of 0.72 offers a wide phase range of 601.3°. The obtained phase slope is 76.37°/mm or 134°/GHz.