To achieve high-gain antenna systems, planar reflectarray and transmitarray metasurfaces can be used in combination with a feed antenna. These metasurfaces operate as planar electromagnetic lenses, shaping the wavefront to form a directive beam.
The metasurface is typically implemented using PCB technology, where each unit cell is designed to locally control the phase of the reflected or transmitted wave. By properly engineering the phase distribution across the surface, high gain can be achieved without the need for bulky three-dimensional structures.
In addition, the metasurface can be designed to define the main beam direction through its spatial phase distribution, without physically rotating the feed antenna.
PCB-based implementations offer a cost-effective and scalable alternative to traditional bulk lens or reflector antennas, making reflectarray and transmitarray metasurfaces well suited for microwave and mmWave applications.
