A Single-Layer Wideband Composite Metasurface Consists of Ka-Band Reflectarray and Wide-Angle Scanning X-Band Phased Array

In this article, a single-layer, low-profile, and broadband shared-aperture composite metasurface is proposed. It consists of a Ka-band reflectarray and an X-band phased-array antenna with wide-angle scanning ability and dual-polarization. In the reflectarray, Phoenix Ring-type elements are employed due to their stable phase modulation characteristics over a wide bandwidth. In the phased-array part, the <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2\times 2$ </tex-math></inline-formula> Phoenix Ring reflectarray elements serve as the fundamental units of the metasurface antenna element and are excited by probes to achieve good broadband matching within the X-band. A comparison is made between two different array arrangements: rectangular and triangular arrangements. The dual-polarization shared-aperture array with a triangular arrangement is fabricated and tested. The X-band phased array demonstrates a bandwidth (VSWR <3) of 19.8% (7.14–8.71 GHz), capable of ±60° scanning in both the E- and H-planes, with an array gain of 17.84 dBi and an aperture efficiency of 88.87%. The Ka-band exhibits a 3-dB gain bandwidth of 17% and an aperture efficiency of 56.5%, with an array profile of only 0.047 wavelengths. Due to its low-profile and compact characteristics, this design has the potential to become a solution for satellite communication technology.