Reflectarray to generate four adjacent beams per feed for multi-spot satellite antennas

Abstract

This contribution describes a design concept of a reflectarray antenna to produce four adjacent beams per feed through the simultaneous use of polarization and frequency discrimination. The feed position is computed to produce two adjacent beams in different frequencies accounting for the beam squint effect, which ensures a minimum phase variation between the phase distributions at the two frequencies. The other two beams in orthogonal polarization are generated by implementing in the reflectarray a different phase-shift for each polarization. This contribution presents the design, manufacturing and measurement of a 43-cm demonstrator that operates at transmit frequencies in Ka-band. The proposed concept can be suitable for multiple spot beam satellites in Ka-band, enabling a reduction in the number of antennas and feeds needed to provide the multi-spot coverage.