X-Band Low-Profile Wideband Circular Polarized Microstrip Array for CubeSat Communications

This paper proposes a novel circular polarized microstrip array with high gain for satellite communication in X-band. In order to extend the impedance bandwidth, the novel single-feed unit element is created without adding the profile. The proposed antenna employs the sequential rotation technique to improve the axial ratio bandwidth with high circular polarization purity. The final design, with an overall size of 91.6 mm x 45.8 mm×1.7 mm is simulated. The proposed antenna can provide an impedance bandwidth of 62.1% from 8.83 GHz to 16.78 GHz, and 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth from 9.84 GHz to 11.52 GHz. The realized gain at the center frequency is 16.4 dBi (with 3-dB gain in band ranging from 9.70 GHz to 12.18 GHz, covering the whole axial ratio bandwidth). Thus, the proposed low-profile circular polarized antenna is suitable for X-band satellite applications.