Dual-Band and Dual-Polarized Shared Aperture Phased Array Antenna with Enhanced Beam Coverage for 5G FR2 and 6G FR3

Abstract

This paper proposes an antenna that employs the shared aperture concept, and is devised to simultaneously operate in the dual bands of Ku and Ka while supporting dual polarization. The antenna element is specified according to the four distinct derivation process. The port isolation is enhanced by using an indirect feeding mechanism through slot aperture coupling integrated with substrate integrated waveguide feed. Based on the antenna array theory, the extended array structure ensures optimized inter-antenna spacings. The reflection coefficient of the antenna element satisfies below -10 dB for both operating bands. Additionally, inter-port isolation surpasses 30 dB in Ku band and 20 dB in Ka band. For the demonstration of beam steering capabilities, distinct array structures are devised and constructed for each band. Both simulations and measurements for the Ku band feature a beam steering angle exceeding ±40 degrees for both polarizations, with a peak gain of 10.3 dBi based on a 1×3 array antenna structure. In the case of the Ka band, measurements and simulations consistently demonstrate a beam steering angle of no less than ±43 degrees across both polarizations. This results in a maximum gain of 13.1 dBi based on a 1×5 array antenna structure.