A Wide-Angle Scanning Planar Array Based on Four-Mode Pattern-Reconfigurable Elements

This paper presents a design of a wide-angle scanning planar array based on a reconfigurable antenna with four radiation patterns for 5G applications. The pattern-reconfigurable antennas (PRAs), capable of switching into four radiation patterns with the help of PIN diodes, constitute the basic elements of the planar array. By exciting each port individually and combining the scans of the PRAs operating at four symmetrical modes in four quadrant subspaces, the main beam of the proposed scanning planar array can scan subspaces I, II, III, and IV by directing the main lobe from -65 degrees to 65 degrees with side lobes less than -7 dB, while supporting a 3 dB scanning coverage of up to 83.5 degrees for each quadrant in the elevation plane. Due to its compactness, simpler biasing network, and more significant beam-scanning coverage, the scanning array by using four-mode PRAs has better performance, via simulation and measurement result agreement.