A Novel Electromagnet-Controlled Reflectarray Element Employing 1-Bit Height Locking System with Low Power Consumption

A novel 1-bit mechanically controlled reflectarray element features in high efficiency is proposed. The element is actuated by an electromagnet under ground plane thus opening via hole or slot is unnecessary. A locking system is designed to lock the steel patch in two different height, which can avoid high power consumption of electromagnet in either of the states. The mechanical performance is discussed in detail and the scattering characteristics of the element are experimentally and numerically validated. A 10x 10 reflectarray antenna is modeled and its beam scanning ability is demonstrated through a MoM fullwave simulation.