TY - GEN
T1 - Metasurface-based, Pattern-reconfigurable, Wide-angle Scanning Antenna Array for UAV-borne Radar
AU - Milias, Christos
AU - Andersen, Rasmus B.
AU - Jorgensen, Thomas H.
AU - Lazaridis, Pavlos I.
AU - Zaharis, Zaharias D.
AU - Muhammad, Bilal
AU - Kristensen, Jes T.B.
AU - Mihovska, Albena
AU - Hermansen, Dan D.S.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research is supported by the European Union, through the Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks Programe MObility and Training fOR beyond 5G Ecosystems (MOTOR5G) under grant agreement no. 861219.
Funding Information:
VI. ACKNOWLEDGMENT This research is supported by the European Union, through the Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks Programe “MObility and Training fOR beyond 5G Ecosystems (MOTOR5G)” under grant agreement no. 861219.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 IEEE.
PY - 2023/6/21
Y1 - 2023/6/21
N2 - This paper presents the design of an X-band, linear antenna array suitable for UAV-borne radars. The array is synthesized by thirteen reflector-backed, pattern-reconfigurable dipoles arranged in an E-plane configuration. The dipole elements provide three different radiation patterns in the elevation plane (H-plane), where the main beam can be steered towards -40°, 0° and 40° for the three states, respectively. This is achieved through the incorporation of two tunable metasurfaces in the antenna structure. These surfaces are composed of split-ring resonator (SRR) unit cells, which are controlled by diode switches to act either as a pass-band or a stop-band spatial filter for the incident waves. The final array design operates between 9.5 and 10.5 GHz, exhibits a maximum gain of almost 19 dBi and has a scanning range of \pm 65\circ in the azimuth plane for all three states of the dipoles' elevation radiation pattern. By combining the pattern-reconfigurability property of the elements in the elevation plane with electronic scanning in the azimuth plane, the proposed antenna array provides a wide coverage that enables the detection of targets flying at different altitudes and can also be exploited to correct a potential beam misalignment in airborne radar systems. As a result, it is an excellent candidate for low-cost, UAV-borne radar platforms for drone detection, sense-and-avoid, and surveillance applications.
AB - This paper presents the design of an X-band, linear antenna array suitable for UAV-borne radars. The array is synthesized by thirteen reflector-backed, pattern-reconfigurable dipoles arranged in an E-plane configuration. The dipole elements provide three different radiation patterns in the elevation plane (H-plane), where the main beam can be steered towards -40°, 0° and 40° for the three states, respectively. This is achieved through the incorporation of two tunable metasurfaces in the antenna structure. These surfaces are composed of split-ring resonator (SRR) unit cells, which are controlled by diode switches to act either as a pass-band or a stop-band spatial filter for the incident waves. The final array design operates between 9.5 and 10.5 GHz, exhibits a maximum gain of almost 19 dBi and has a scanning range of \pm 65\circ in the azimuth plane for all three states of the dipoles' elevation radiation pattern. By combining the pattern-reconfigurability property of the elements in the elevation plane with electronic scanning in the azimuth plane, the proposed antenna array provides a wide coverage that enables the detection of targets flying at different altitudes and can also be exploited to correct a potential beam misalignment in airborne radar systems. As a result, it is an excellent candidate for low-cost, UAV-borne radar platforms for drone detection, sense-and-avoid, and surveillance applications.
KW - Antenna array
KW - metasurface
KW - reconfigurable antenna
KW - UAV-borne radar
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163711442&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/RadarConf2351548.2023.10149666
DO - 10.1109/RadarConf2351548.2023.10149666
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85163711442
SN - 9781665436700
T3 - Proceedings of the IEEE Radar Conference
BT - 2023 IEEE Radar Conference, Proceedings
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 2023 IEEE Radar Conference
Y2 - 1 May 2023 through 5 May 2023
ER -
