A Polarization and Frequency Reconfigurable Microstrip Antenna for Vehicular Communication System Application

To face a complex wireless communication scenario, a flexible and tunable multi-functional antenna system should be employed to guarantee system quality. This paper presents a polarization and frequency reconfigurable microstrip patch antenna with a wide 3-dB axial ratio beam-width for vehicle communication systems. By controlling the p-i-n diodes, the proposed design can achieve four operating states: linear polarization (LP) in lower frequency bands between 1.45 and 1.47 GHz, and LP, left-hand circular polarization (LHCP), and right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) in higher frequency bands between 1.50 and 1.53 GHz. The proposed antenna has an exceptionally low profile (0.02 λ0 at 1.5 GHz) and a simple structure, consisting of a single-layer square patch with two annular ring slots and four switches placed at appropriate locations in the slots. P-i-n diodes, as the switchs, change the current distribution on the radiating patch to achieve the antenna's polarization and frequency reconfigurability. The proposed antenna was fabricated and tested, and the observed results are identical to those predicted by the simulation. The antenna has outstanding reconfigurable capabilities independent of frequency or polarization in the operational frequency range. Therefore, it can be well used for vehicular communication systems because of its multi-reconfigurability and stable mechanical property.