Hybrid Metasurface, Dielectric Resonator, Low-Cost, Wide-Angle Beam-Scanning Antenna for 5G Base Station Application

This work presents a novel compact, low-cost, metamaterial-based, wide-angle beam-scanning array antenna with monopole-like Huygens pattern reconfigurable element for fifth-generation (5G) base station application. A miniaturized and broadband hybrid metasurface with a compact size of 0.28 lambda(0) x 0.28 lambda(0) x 0.11 lambda(0) is first proposed by combining a dielectric resonator and a 3 x 3 mushroom-like metasurface. By exploring a monopole-like Huygens radiation mechanism, a pattern reconfigurable hybrid metasurface antenna is implemented. It can be switched between one broadside and two tilted (theta = +/- 40 degrees) modes. To increase the beam-scanning range, the proposed pattern reconfigurable antenna as the array element is adopted in a phased array. For demonstration, a five-element hybrid metasurface linear array antenna using the reconfigurable element is fabricated and measured. It is operated in the band of 3.30-3.80 GHz (5G-N78 band). This reconfigurable method can extend the beam-scanning angle of the five-element array symmetrically from [-35 degrees, +35 degrees] to [-70 degrees, +70 degrees]. With the merits of broadband, low-cost (simple design and fewer array elements), wide-angle beam-scanning capacity, and good radiation performance, the proposed hybrid metasurface pattern reconfigurable antenna and array are well poised for 5G multibeam base station and microcell applications.