Shaped-beam reconfigurable reflectarray with gathered elements in an irregular lattice for LMDS base station

This contribution presents a shaped-beam reconfigurable antenna using gathered elements arranged by pairs, forming a sub-array with a common phase control. The aim of this configuration is to save control elements with an important reduction in both the manufacturing complexity and the system cost. The reconfiguration can be implemented by using ohmic MEMS or PIN diodes in a series configuration. By the use of two of these switching devices per cell, three sector beams shaped in elevation as a square cosecant can be achieved pointing to different angles in the azimuth plane. The gathering of the elements produces grating lobes which can be easily removed by choosing an adequate lattice for the grouping.