Fixed-frequency beam-scanning antenna with a reconfigurable metasurface

A novel fixed-frequency beam-scanning antenna based on a reconfigurable metasurface is designed and fabricated. This architecture implements a sinusoidally-modulated reactance surface with voltage-controlled average reactance; this is achieved by printing a modulated metallic cladding on a dielectric substrate and substituting the standard ground plane with a tunable metasurface loaded with varactor diodes. Varying the varactors’ bias voltage on the lower plane affects the overall average reactance of the structure and allows to control the radiation angle. Experimental measurements confirm the validity of this innovative beam-steering technique.