A Frequency- and Polarization-Reconfigurable Stub-Loaded Microstrip Patch Antenna

A stub-loaded microstrip patch antenna with reconfigurability in both frequency and polarization is presented. Using 12 varactors with two independent voltages, reconfigurability is achieved in a fractional bandwidth of around 40% while allowing selection between circular polarization (CP) with both rotating senses and linear polarization (LP). The design is optimized based on an analytical model, which significantly speeds up the process while yielding reasonably accurate predictions. For illustration of the concept, an antenna is designed, optimized, and manufactured for reconfigurable operation in the 2.4-3.6 GHz frequency range. A good agreement between simulations and measurements is obtained which validates the proposed method. A full reconfigurability is demonstrated in the operation band with the ability to both tune the antenna to a given frequency and select a polarization state among left-hand or right-hand CP or various states of LP.