Linearly Polarized Reconfigurable Reflectarray Surface

A simple, low-cost, linearly-polarized reconfigurable reflectarray surface is presented that can provide beam steering over a wide range of angles in one plane. Results for a prototype design demonstrated beam steering from 35° to 60° at 5.5 GHz. Simple equations describing the beam steering angle and overall size for a minimum RCS are presented that aid the system designer. The concertina reflectarray surface can be manufactured using screen-printing techniques making this potentially a low-cost product that can meet the needs of wide spread deployment needed by wireless systems. A sample design using an A2 sized sheet of paper increased a 5.5 GHz signal by 20 dB, eliminating a ‘dead-spot’ in the lab.