Design and Experimental validation of Pattern and Frequency Reconfigurable Central Plasma Antenna Array

This paper presents the design and experimental validation of a Reconfigurable Central Plasma Antenna Array (RCPAA) consisting of a central monopole plasma antenna and plasma reflectors to obtain improved frequency and pattern reconfigurability. The new design allows dual reconfigurability while significantly improving antenna gain, front-to-back (F/B) ratio, and minimising cross-polarization. The central monopole plasma antenna is the primary radiating element, and the plasma reflectors around it provide beam shaping and steering. The plasma windowing technique achieves beam steering across the full azimuthal angle at every 18°. The RCPAA is optimised for 820 MHz, demonstrating a significant improvement in gain from -5 dB to 0 dB, cross-polarization below 20 dB, and an F/B ratio of 25 dB, along with a wide bandwidth of 600 MHz. Radar Cross Section (RCS) measurements cover the L to X bands, ranging from 6 dBm² to -30 dBm². The RCPAA is to be transparent in the X-band region. These findings highlight the potential applications of RCPAA in radar, communication, and navigation systems, including target detection and tracking.