Passive phase conjugating array using FR4

This paper presents the development and construction of a low-cost passive phase conjugating array (PCA) antenna aiming the mitigation of multipath phenomena at 6 GHz. The implementation of the proposed array was performed on woven fiber glass substrate using both discrete and integrated circuits. Measurement results, obtained inside an anechoic chamber, from a 16-element PCA antenna under multipath conditions are used to validate its feasibility for vehicular applications where beam steering is required. Tests performed in the chamber yield to an average gain of 9 dB across a 120° angular range and peak gains of 32 dB. The relative good performance of the proposed PCA topology clearly demonstrates its benefit in mitigating multipath fading and, consequently, fade margin reduction.