Design of A 400-Element Reflectarray Antenna Fed by Tapered Slot Antenna

The design and measurement of a reflectarray antenna fed by a tapered slot antenna (TSA) is reported. The reflectarray contains 400 unit cells combined by square patches and square loops. The tapered slot antenna is 90 mm away from the center of the array, allowing for an edge illumination level of –10 dB. The compensation for the non-spherical wavefront of the feeding TSA is included during the element design, leading to the accurate direction of the scattering wave of a pencil beam. The TSA-fed reflectarray antenna is prototyped and experimentally investigated. The measured radiation patterns show maximum gain at 30 degrees as designed across 9.8–10.2 GHz with sidelobe levels all below –10 dB.