A 3-D metal printed folded-shorted patch array with an integrated feeding circuit offering dual-band circularly polarised radiation for cubesat applications

This letter presents a three-dimensional (3-D) printed metallic antenna array that combines folded-shorted patches (FSPs) and meandering for structure compactness. The design provides dual-band functionality, operating in the L-band and the S-band. The compact and broadband feeding network, which is also integrated onto the backside of the antenna ground plane, enables circularly polarised radiation over an operational bandwidth of more than 80%. The dimensions of the array are 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.056 lambda 03$\lambda _0<^>3$ (where lambda 0 is the free space wavelength at 1.2 GHz), making the design suitable for CubeSats and other space constraint applications. The measured right-handed circular polarised realised gains are 2.32 dBic and 1.84 dBic at 1.2 GHz and 2.45 GHz, respectively. In addition, the 3-D metallic printed FSP elements can be flexibly arranged for different link requirements and other applications like beam steering. This work presents a 3-D printed metallic antenna array that combines folded-shorted patches and meandering for structure compactness. The design provides dual-band functionality, operating in the L-band and the S-band. The compact and broadband feeding network, which is also integrated onto the backside of the antenna ground plane, enables circularly polarised radiation over an operational bandwidth of more than 80%.image