A method for ensuring polarization agility in conjunction with beam
steering in planar array antennas is proposed. It relies on interleaving
two subarrays with orthogonal, linear polarizations that, together, can
generate arbitrary polarization states: adjustable linear, elliptical,
and left- or right-handed circular. The complexity of the resulting
system is comparable with that of standard,
... [Show full abstract] fully populated array
antennas consisting of identical, linearly polarized elements. By
dynamically controlling the amplitude and the phase of the signals fed
to the subarrays, a stable polarization state can be maintained during
beam steering. The concept is validated by numerically investigating an
architecture obtained by interleaving nonuniform subarrays designed by
means of a deterministic placement strategy. The effects of the mutual
coupling between the different radiating elements are modeled and
discussed.