Date of Award:
5-2026
Document Type:
Thesis
Degree Name:
Master of Science (MS)
Department:
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Committee Chair(s)
Bedri A. Cetiner
Committee
Bedri A. Cetiner
Committee
Reyhan Baktur
Committee
T. C. Shen
Abstract
This research explores two types of reconfigurable, steerable antennas. These antennas change their beam direction based on electric input signals. The antennas have a layer that overlays the main antenna circuit board. The layer has small copper rectangles (pixels) that may be connected using either varactor diodes (which behave as voltage-controlled capacitors) or PIN diodes (electronic switches). The first antenna can steer in the xz-plane in any direction within about 23° from boresight (straight up from the antenna) and in the yz-plane to about 29° from boresight. The antenna uses varactor diodes on a planar layer. The second antenna can tilt its beam much farther, about 50° from boresight. The second antenna uses PIN diodes on a spherical layer to connect the copper pixels. The antennas were simulated in HFSS, a full-wave EM simulation software, and the latter antenna was constructed and measured.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Hendricks, Andrew J., "Reconfigurable Antennas Using Varactors on a Planar Parasitic Layer and Pin Diodes on a Dome Parasitic Layer" (2026). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present. 705.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd2023/705
Included in
Copyright for this work is retained by the student. If you have any questions regarding the inclusion of this work in the Digital Commons, please email us at .