Single-Pole Double-Throw Filtering Switch and its Application in Pattern Reconfigurable Antenna

In this communication, a low-cost, single-pole double-throw (SPDT) filtering radio frequency (RF) switch based on coupled resonators is proposed and utilized in a novel pattern reconfigurable antenna design. The proposed filtering switch employs two second-order quarter-wavelength microstrip resonant structures which can be controlled by p-i-n diodes, respectively. Compared with traditional switches based on p-i-n diode, this filtering switch can not only improve the RF response but also suppress the high-order harmonic, when it is used with an antenna. Then, a low-profile dual-port broadside/conical dual-mode antenna is proposed by embedding a slotted substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity in the middle of a patch antenna. The slotted cavity is to realize the radiation in the broadside whereas the patch is fed by two probes in-phase to realize the conical radiation. Finally, the filtering switch and the dual-mode antenna are combined to realize the pattern reconfigurable antenna. By controlling the states of the p-i-n diodes, broadside and conical radiation patterns can be easily switched. The concept of switch-based pattern reconfigurable antenna is prototyped and experimentally verified. Measured results agree with the simulations, demonstrating a promising solution for pattern reconfigurable antenna designs.