A Wide-Angle Scanning Planar Phased Array with Pattern Reconfigurable Magnetic Current Element

A wide-angle scanning planar phased array with magnetic current elements is proposed. A pattern reconfigurable technique is used to design the element that enhances scanning gain and decreases the sidelobe level throughout the entire scanning range. The array is comprised of eight elements in a 2x4 arrangement with uniform spacing. The proposed phased array operates at 5.8 GHz and can scan with 3 dB beamwidth the entire upper ground elevation plane from -90 degrees to + 90 degrees enabled by a two-step pattern reconfigurability mechanism consisting of: 1) coarse-angle scanning and 2) fine-angle scanning. Significant outcomes also include the reduced sidelobe level (less than 7.8 dB) and the particularly small fluctuation (+/- 0.75 dB) of the gain during scanning over a scanning range of 150 degrees (from -75 degrees to + 75 degrees in the elevation plane). With the absence of any structure above the ground level, the high efficiency, and the coverage of the entire upper half-space, this proposed antenna array is very attractive for a variety of phased array applications, particularly those that require a flush-mounted structure.