Thin linear-to-circular polarizers with enhanced bandwidth

Abstract

Circular polarization is valuable for many electromagnetic radiation applications such as wireless and satellite communication, radars, RFID, global positioning systems, etc. Many efforts have been made to manipulate and control polarization by using linear-to-linear or linear-to-circular transmission or reflection polarization converters. Most of the existing linear-to-circular single-layer polarizers have been found to be narrowband. Some attempts have been made to improve the bandwidth of these polarizers including using multiple layered structures at the expense of a bulkier device. There was, however, still a requirement for thin single-layer linear-to-circular polarizers with enhanced bandwidth. The purpose of this research was to design two thin single-layer linear-to-circular polarizers, one for transmission and the other for reflection, with enhanced bandwidth.

A thin single-layer linear-to-circular transmission polarizer with a 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth of 34% is presented. The bandwidth of this polarizer is significantly better than that of previously published polarizers of the same type. The unit cell of the polarizer consists of an I-shaped strip and a perpendicular linear strip printed on the one side of a thin dielectric substrate and two additional capacitive coupling strips printed on the other side of the substrate. Experimental results were found to agree well with the simulated results.

A thin single-layer reflective linear-to-circular polarizer with a 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth of 57% is also presented. The unit cell of the polarizer consists of an I-shaped strip and a perpendicular linear strip printed on the one side of a substrate and a ground plane on the other side of the substrate. Experimental results for this polarizer were also found to agree well with the simulated results.