A Configurable Multiport Dirac Periodic Antenna for 2-D Beam Synthesis

In this work, through an analytical study of the multiport periodic network, we develop a circuit-level abstraction of radiating apertures that eliminates the need for full-wave design and simulation. As a proof of concept, we design and fabricate a 12-port Dirac periodic antenna prototype capable of synthesizing a desired 2-D far-field pattern by modulating the excitation phasors applied to the input ports. Measurements demonstrate that the proposed configurable aperture can directly synthesize, radiate, and steer single or multiple beams across 5 GHz to 9 GHz, achieving a gain of approximately 9 dBi and a side lobe level of -8 dB at the center frequency, 7 GHz. There is a good agreement between theory, simulation, and measurement results.