An 8 GHz array of circularly polarised, dual mode patches suitable for space deployment

A frequent problem encountered in the design of circularly polarised microstrip patch arrays is the topology of the feed network. If dual or quadruple probe patches are used, the real estate taken up by hybrids, splitters and matching networks can impose a serious limitation on array element packing density and layout geometry-particularly if the elements are sequentially rotated. The array described in this paper overcomes this problem by using dual-mode patches, arranged to radiate circular polarisation from single probe sources of excitation