A Dual-Band Beam-Scanning Antenna Array for UAV Communication

To meet the requirements of multi-scenario coverage and spectrum efficiency enhancement in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) relay communications, a dual-band beam-scanning antenna array based on a dual-mode patch element is proposed in this paper. The patch element employs hybrid TM<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">10</inf> and TM<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">11</inf> mode excitation, achieving dual-band resonance at 1.6 GHz and 2.5 GHz through the integration of slots and stubs. It demonstrates broadside radiation characteristics at 1.6 GHz while exhibiting dipole-like radiation patterns at 2.5 GHz. By constructing a 4×4 antenna array, single-beam scanning with an angular range of ±36° (with sidelobe levels below -10 dB) is realized at 1.6 GHz, achieving a peak gain of 9.37 dBi. In contrast, dual-beam scanning covering angles from -55° to -25° and from 25° to 55° is realized at 2.5 GHz, with a peak gain of 15.06 dBi. Therefore, the proposed antenna array with dual-band independent beam scanning capability can provide a solution for UAV communication systems.