Design of Wideband High Gain Reflectarray Antennas for High Speed Reliable V2X Communication Links

This article introduces a novel circularly polarized (CP) wideband high gain reflectarray antenna (WHG-RA) designed to cater to the requirements of future Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication links. The WHG-RA offers an exceptional gain bandwidth spanning from 12 to 32 GHz, encompassing crucial V2X frequency bands, including vehicle-to-satellite (V2S) Ku/Ka downlinks and uplinks frequencies (12.25-12.75, 14.0-14.5, 19.6-21.2, and 29.4-31.0 GHz), the 24.25-26.65 GHz range designated for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) short-range radars, and all 5G millimeter-wave spectrums, such as n258 (24.25-27.5 GHz) and n257 (26.5-29.5 GHz), intended for vehicle-to-network (V2N) links. The design of the wideband unit cell within the WHG-RA is rooted in a rotational technique grounded in geometric phase theory and has multiple resonances. As a proof-of-concept, we have created a 180 × 180 mm² planar WHG-RA consisting of 900 unit cells, which has been fabricated and rigorously tested across the 12 - 32 GHz frequency range. Both simulation and measurement results affirm the WHG-RA's prowess, showcasing consistent radiation patterns, a commendable peak aperture efficiency (41%), high gain of 30.3 dBi, and side-lobe levels (< -17.2 dB) averaged over 12 to 32 GHz, offering a substantial 91% operational bandwidth.