Dual-Band Reflectarray-Based Electromagnetic Skin to Provide Millimeter-Wave Coverage in the 28/60-GHz Bands

In this contribution, a low-profile dual-band smart electromagnetic skin (SES) is proposed to improve wireless communications in millimeter-wave 5G. The SES is based on a single-layer reflectarray panel that can operate simultaneously at the 28 and 60 GHz bands. The reflectarray unit-cell consists of a central lower frequency element which is surrounded by four higher frequency elements. The SES has been designed to provide a different coverage for each frequency (i.e., two separate beams with different pointing directions). A beamforming technique has been applied to broaden the beams in azimuth and achieve a wider coverage. The proposed device can be used to enable wireless communications in millimeter-wave 5G by providing enhanced coverage in nonline-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios.