A Novel Reconfigurable Patch Antenna with

both Frequency and Polarization Diversities for Wireless Communications

Nanbo Jin*, Fan Yang and Yahya Rahmat-Samii

Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Califomia, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1594
jnnb@cc.ucla.cdu

1. Introduction: The great development of reconfigurable antennas, which become

popular in antenna engineering because of their frequency, radiation pattem and
polarization diversities, is witnessed these days [l]. Moreover, it also emerges that
several tunable performances can be integrated within a single structure [2], and this
design has become one of the hot topics in latest reconfigurable antenna technology.

In recent years the concept of patch antenna with swichable slot (PASS) is presented
by UCLA antenna lab, and several unique antennas based on this concept are designed to
provide diverse performances for wireless communication systems. For instance,
reference [3] presents a design with frequency diversity and uniform polarization;
reference [4] proposes another design with polarization diversity but the operation
frequency remains the same. In this paper, a novel reconfigurable patch antenna based on
PASS concept is presented, and gives both frequency and polarization diversities: the
LHCP and RHCP are obtained at two different operation frequencies, as shown in Fig. 1.
This design can be used to enhance the channel capacity and reduce the crosstalk level in
wireless communications.

2. Antenna structure and operation mechanism: The basic structure of the novel
reconfigurable patch antenna is shown in Fig. 2. The diagonal feeding point is designed
for obtaining x- and (-y)-oriented polarization (TMloand TMOImodes) at the same time.
In this paper, two patches shown in Fig. 1 (b) and (c) are designed as the equivalents of
the two different switching modes of an actual PASS in numerical simulations and
measurements: for the switch-on mode, the p-i-n switching diode located in the middle of
the slot in Fig.1 (a) is substituted by an 1-mm wide microstrip stub, while the switch-off
mode is represented by leaving the slot unchanged. It has been proven in [4] that this
implementation is an acceptable representation for the real switching operation.

Since the electrical length in x-direction is not significantly changed during the
antenna’s switching, the operation frequency of TMlo mode will be approximately the
same. In contrast, for TMol mode, the average electrical length in (-y)-direction of the
switch-off mode is longer than that of the switch-on mode, and the input impedance peak
value determined by TMOImode shifts from one side of the TMlo mode peak to another
during the switching, as shown in Fig. 3.

It is well known that the operation frequency and the polarization sense of a circular
polarization are determined by the magnitudes and phases of the two linear polarizations.
By carefully modulating the length, width of the slot and the location of the feed point,
we can obtain LHCP at a lower frequency at the switch-off mode and a higher-frequency
RHCP at the switch-on mode, respectively. Specifically, at the switch-off mode, there is a

0-7803-8302-8/04/$20.00 02004 IEEE 1796

positive id4 phase difference between x-polarization and the (-y)-polarization hence
LHCP is obtained, similarly, at the switch-on mode, a negative d 4 phase difference leads
to a RHCP. Fig. 3 also shows the locations of the two circular polarization operation
points, which clearly interprets the antenna operation mechanism.

3. Simulation and experimental results: In the computer-aided simulation, Zeland

IE3D 9.0 and the FDTD codes developed by UCLA antenna lab are applied. Moreover,
some experiments were also carried out to demonstrate the application of the PASS
concept in this dual-frequency dual-CP design. The dimension parameters in the
simulation and experiments are proposed in the captions of Fig. 2, with RTDuroid 5880
chosen as the substrate. The measurements are performed in far field chamber with the
network analyzer HP 8510B.

Fig. 4 shows the simulated and measured retum loss of the antenna, and Fig. 5 gives
the measured broadside axial ratio versus the frequency. It is noticed in Fig. 5 that the
minimum axial ratios for switch-off and switch-on modes appear at 4.38GHz (1.86dB)
and 4.62GHz (1.99dB), respectively, hence, on the experimental curve in Fig. 4,
fL=4.38GHz and fR=4.62GHzare chosen as the two operation frequencies of LHCP and
RHCP, with a frequency ratio of fR / fL =1.055. If we consider most of the practical cases
in mobile communications, the SI,values of -11.2dB and -7.8dB are still acceptable and
the measured low axial ratios clarify the purity of the circular polarizations.

The measured results in Fig. 5 also give satisfactory axial ratio bandwidth (axial ratio
5 3dB): 5OMHz for the switch-off mode and 70MHz for the switch-on mode. In terms of
the axial ratio variation with the elevation angle, Fig. 6 shows that at the switch-off mode
there is a quite broad beamwidth and at the switch-on mode, although decreases a lot, a -
60’ beamwidth is still observed. Fig. 7 gives the spinning patterns of the antenna in q=O”
and q=90° planes. The patterns in the two main planes for all the modes do not differ a
lot, which can be regarded as another proof for the purity of the circular polarizations.

The antenna can be conveniently scaled for other operation frequencies. Moreover,
the frequency ratio fR / fL between the RHCP and LHCP can be further increased by
applying other methods such as using dual slots or adding metallic stubs, etc.

4. Conclusion: A novel reconfigurable patch antenna that applies the PASS concept is
presented in this paper to obtain both frequency and polarization diversities for wireless
communications. With single patch and single feed, the antenna operates at two different
frequencies with a frequency ratio of 1.055, the similar radiation pattern and opposite
circular polarizations. Experiments are carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of the
design, and satisfactory axial ratios of 1.86dB and 1.99dB are obtained. The presented
methodology is very promising in antenna design for satellite and mobile
communications, which require multi-frequency operation to enhance the channel
capacity, and different polarizations to prevent the crosstalk between the channels.

References:
[ I ] J. T. Bemhard, “ReconfigurableAntennas and Apertures: State-of-the-Art and Future Outlook”,
Proc. SPIE ConJ on Smart Electronics, MEMs. BioMEMs. and Nanotechnology, vol. 5055, pp. 1-
9, March, 2003.
[2]G. H. Huff, J. Feng, S . Zhang and J. T. Bemhard, “A Novel Radiation Pattem and Frequency
Reconfigurable Single Tum Square Spiral Microstrip Antenna”, IEEE Microwave and Wireless
Components Letters, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 57-59, Feb. 2003.

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[3] F. Yang and Y. Rahmat-Samii, “A Reconfigurable Patch Antenna Using Switchable Slots for
Circular Polarization Diversity”, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Lefters, vol. 12, no.
3, pp. 96-98, Feb. 2002.
[4] F. Yang and Y. Rahmat-Samii, “Patch Antenna with Swichable Slot (PASS): Dual-Frequency
Operation”, Microwave Opt. Technol. Lett., vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 165-168, Nov. 2001

DifferentOperation Frequencies

Fig. 1 A Novel reconfigurahleantenna that provides both frequency and polarization diversities

U I I

(a) (b) (c)

Fig. 2 (a) The basic structure of the dual-frequencydual CP PASS. The dimension parameters are (unit: mm):
L=20, W=17.5, Lg=40,L,=18, W,=I, ( X , U,) = (-3.5, 3.05), (Xs, U,) = (0, -6), cr=2.2, h=3.18. (b) The equivalent
representationsof the switch-offmode. (c) The equivalent representationsof the switch-onmode.

- Swtch-off
........ Swdtch-on
TMOl peak TMlOpeak TMOl peak

Frequency

Fig. 3 The frequencies of various polarizations in this design, as an interpretation of the operation mechanism

1798
 Fig. 4 Measured and simulated return loss. Fig. 5 Measured broadside AR versus frequency.

I , /
-..L.--J .._.
I-
I / / , I ,
~ I~ . ,. . ., ~ ~ . . _ . ~ . . . .~
I I ~ ...I.
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Fig. 6 Measured AR versus elevation angle 0. Left Switch-off mode (LHCP) at 4.38GHz; Right: Switch-on
mode (RHCP) at 4.62GHz.

180 180'
I d 38GheLMP.(lO(dw) I=4.82GHIIIHCP,~OIaeg)

180' 180'
f=4 38GV&LHCP+=O(deg) f.l.sZGHzRncP+=(deg)

Fig. 7 Measured spinning pattems of the antennas (normalized)

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