A 28 GHz 2\times 2 antenna array with 10 beams using passive beamforming network

Official URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/IEEECONF35879.2020.9329935

In this paper, a 2\times 2 series fed antenna array working at 28 GHz with beam switching capability is proposed. The presented antenna design is suitable for 5G user equipments and high data rates applications with low cost, complexity, and size. The size of the antenna is 37. 2\times 37.2\ mm^{2} including the ground plane and it produces 10 different switched beams by using only two simple 3dB/90° couplers that create the required amplitudes and phase excitations for the antenna elements. The antenna design is implemented on 0.203 mm thick low-loss (\text{tan} \delta = 0.0027) Rogers 4003C substrate and it has a measured impedance bandwidth of 0.5 GHz for one of the ports. The antenna has an average realized gain of 9 dBi and at least 10 dB side lobe level (SLL) for all beams. The antenna is designed and simulated using HFSS and fabricated using regular PCB processing.