2016 Progress In Electromagnetic Research Symposium (PIERS), Shanghai, China, 811 August

Design of Dual-band Frequency Selective Surface for Antenna RCS

Reduction
Pingyou Wang, Pu Tang, Wuqiong Luo, Ziyuan He, Lutong Li, and Senhang He
School of Electronic Engineering
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China

Abstract In this paper, the performance of a new dual-band Frequency Selective Surface
(FSS) structure based on square ring and three-pole loading was presented. Two applications
which were carried out to verify the feasibility of the FSS structure are using the FSS as the high
impedance surface to design absorbing material and as the radome to reduce the antenna Radar
Cross Section (RCS). The wave-transparent rate of the FSS is given when a plane wave is incident
at some angle. Simulation results shows that the performance of the FSS is stable. In the rst
application, the absorbing material only designed with the FSS structure and FR4 is thinner than
the traditional absorbing material, and the total thickness is low to 3.6 mm. Bandwidth of the
articial electromagnetic material (the absorptivity is more than 80%) is nearly 5.2%. Frequency
Selective Radome not only can reduce the RCS, but also can resist external interference to
maintain a good working environment for antenna. In the following content, we build an ideal
model of antenna and radome system to discuss the inuence of the Frequency Selective Radome
on the conformal antenna. The results of RCS and antenna performance were compared between
cylindrical conformal antenna array with radome or not. Its worth noting that the FSS radome
has little eect on the performance of conformal antenna array, moreover it has a signicant RCS
reduction in pass band. Simulation results show that the FSS can be used to design ecient
electromagnetic absorber and radome that all can be applied in RCS reduction.

1. INTRODUCTION
The dual-band Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSS) are periodic structures in two dimensions which
usually be used for radome, radar absorber, reector, polarizer and lter design. It can be used to
reduce the radar RCS as a radome with the characteristic of spatial ltering [1]. Oblique incidence
stability and polarization stability are two important indicators to evaluate the electromagnetic
properties of the FSS. Ben A. Munk analyzed and summarized the unit cell conguration, and
then proposed the traditional procedures such as PMM with his research group [2]. Composite
absorbing material with resistive FSS has the smaller weight and the thinner thickness. In addition,
the analysis methods and techniques used for absorber are explained briey in some papers [3]. The
transmission line method attracts more interest because of its less computer memory required and
best eciency. Radar absorbing material (RAM) with FSS layers has wider operating bandwidth
than that without any other periodic surfaces [5].
Frequency selective radome is transparent for the incoming pass band power, simultaneously
totally reected for out-band signals. The advancement of antenna-radome system promotes guar-
anteed algorithms growth. Raveendranath U. Nair and Rakesh M. Jha have put forward some
views about electromagnetic design and performance analysis of airborne radomes. Methods ana-
lyzed and summarized in the paper consists of low-frequency and high-frequency methods [4]. RCS
reduction could make a contribution to realizing stealth and protecting the antenna from external
scattering and reections. In [6], the authors studied four means: target shaping, discrete loading,
distributed loading and active loading, of which the distributed loading using RAM even make the
reduction as large as 28 dB [7]. Frequency selective radome not only ensure the performance of the
antenna but also reduce the RCS of the antenna which the level of reduction is more signicant in
out-band. Consequently, RAM and frequency selective radome are the key approaches for antenna
RCS reduction.
2. DESIGN OF FREQUENCY SELECTIVE SURFACE
A new dual-band Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) structure based on improved square ring and
conventional cross structure loaded by meander lines was presented. Simultaneously. The basic
components of the FSS include the two parts. At last a combination of these two structures was
rotated and shaped for two-dimensional periodic arrangement. The simulation key unit was shown
in Fig. 3(a). Subsequently, the specic sizes were given in Table 1, where Dx is the spacing between

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2016 Progress In Electromagnetic Research Symposium (PIERS), Shanghai, China, 811 August

Table 1: Model sizes (mm).

Square loop cross unit FSS

Inner Radius 2.2 Loading Length 3.5 Dx 11
Outer Radius 2.6 Width 0.5 Dy 11

0 0

-10 -5

-10

dB (S 21, S11 )
dB (S 21)

-20
-60 o -15
-45 o
-30
0o
-20
45 o
60 o
-40
-25
S 11
S 21
-50 -30
4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Fre/GHz frequency/GHz

Figure 1: Transmission coecient of the FSS. Figure 2: S21 and S11 of the FSS with FR4 loaded.

two adjacent elements in the x direction and the radius is a parameter used to describe the square
ring with ripples.
Power transfer of the FSS (see Fig. 1) in pass band is fairly attractive. We clearly nd that
it has two resonant peaks in 5.3 GHz and 8 GHz respectively with a wider bandwidth because of
capacity-loaded. One of the main characteristics of FSS is its dependence on the incidence angle
and polarization. Fig. 1 also indicates the pass bands were remained the same in the case of dierent
incident angles and the bandwidth was slightly o. In other words the lter which are relatively
insensitive to the angle of wave incidence attracts us to explore.

3. DESIGN OF RADAR ABSORBING MATERIAL

The transmission and reection coecients of the FSS on a FR4 dielectric substrate 1 mm thick in
the frequency range 1 to 9 GHz were shown in Fig. 2 when the planar transmitted wave is incident
normally. Under the same size, the resonant frequency decreases and dielectric loss has obvious
impact on the FSS. Better indicators can be obtained using multilayer surfaces and mediums.
Narrowband radar absorbing structures is so lightweight and at low cost that have various ap-
plications. A relatively large reduction of radar cross section can be achieved using radar absorbing
structures. In Fig. 3(b) a simplied RAM scheme was described. It consists of three parts: re-
sistive FSS, low-loss material and at ground. Equivalent circuit method and transmission line
technology are extensively used to assess the reection and absorption of electromagnetic wave.
Complementary structure of Fig. 3(a) is designed for resistive surface which produces a stop-band
range: 812 GHz. Outstanding performance of the resistive FSS is shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 shows the
frequency dependence of the absorptivity in dierent angles by TE wave illuminating. Eventually,

(a) (b)

Figure 4: Antennas and radome system.

Figure 3: Layout of FSS and RAM scheme (side
view).

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 2016 Progress In Electromagnetic Research Symposium (PIERS), Shanghai, China, 811 August

1.0 11 = `-10 deg'

0 +K
1Q 7W =] %E )I %E /O 11 = `-8 deg'
%E
11 = `-6 deg'
0.8 11 = `-4 deg'
-10 11 = `-2 deg'

mag(xishou) TE
11 = `0 deg'
0.6 11 = `2 deg'
dB (S11 , S 21 )

-20 % S 11 , -25o 11 = `4 deg'

E S 11 , -15o 11 = `6 deg'
S 11 , 0o 11 = `8 deg'
0.4
S 11 , 15 o 11 = `10 deg'
-30 S 11 , 25 o
S 21 , -25o
S 21 , -15o 0.2
S 21 , 0o
-40
S 21 , 15 o
S 21 , 25 o 0.0
-50
7 8 9 10 11 8.0 8.5 9.0 9.5 10.0 10.5 11.0
Freq/GHz Freq/GHz

Figure 5: Transmission coecient of the resistive Figure 6: Absorption of the absorber with dierent
FSS with dierent incidence angles. incidence angles.

the composite RAM with a optimal operating bandwidth 9.510 GHz (see Fig. 6) has been realized.

4. DESIGN OF FREQUENCY SELECTIVE RADOME

Electrical, mechanical, and environmental performance are the radome design considerations espe-
cially the rst [7]. Frequency Selective Radome oers the potential for above-mentioned considera-
tions in metallic radomes. So in the next, radome based on the FSS structure will be investigated.
On the other hand, A rough evaluation and comparison of RCS was studied between cylindrical
conformal FSS and metallic plate.
Conformal linear array antenna and radome system was shown in Fig. 4 of which semidiameters
are 40 mm and 60 mm respectively. The center frequency of the system is 5.6 GHz (see obviously
in Fig. 7). In Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, radiation patterns in E-plane and H-plane were compared with
radome or without radome. The frequency selective radome has almost insignicant impact on the
conformal antenna, to some degree, because of no material simulation in order to reduce the time
cost. In addition, it has lower sidelobe level and null depth than that without FSS radome. In
reality, large-sized reector and array are always applied in the wireless system such as in shipboard,
airborne and aerospace. To reduce the RCS of antennas on the certain direction, radome are
necessary to be shaped into various shapes like ogive radome. For analytical simplicity Fig. 10
shows that the bistatic RCS reduction of a metal plate with cylindrical radome covered could be
more than 10 dB in the main direction. Some things need to be emphasized, many ways will be
carried out for greater bandwidth.

0
S 22 330 30
S 33
5
S 11
0
0
300 60
-5
dB (GainTotal) H-Plane

-10
dB (S11 , S22 , S33 )

-15
-30 270 90
-20
-25
-30
240 120
-35 0
-40
210 150
-45 180
5.0 5.2 5.4 5.6 5.8 6.0 Freq = `5.6 GHz' Theta = `90 deg' with FSS radome
Fre/GHz Freq = `5.5 GHz' Theta = `90 deg' without radome

Figure 7: Operating frequency range of the system. Figure 8: Radiation pattern comparison in H-plane.

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2016 Progress In Electromagnetic Research Symposium (PIERS), Shanghai, China, 811 August

0
5 metal plate
300 60
with FSS Radome
dB (GainTotal) E-Plane

dB (RCSTotal) Freq = `6.4 GHz'

0

-5
-30
-10

-15
240 120
0 -20

-25
180
Freq = `5.6 GHz' Phi = `90 deg' with FSS radome -100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100
Freq = `5.5 GHz' Phi = `90 deg' without radome WavePhi

Figure 9: Radiation pattern comparison in E-plane. Figure 10: Bistatic RCS reduction of a metal plate.

5. CONCLUSION
According to above analysis and design, the novel FSS structure designed has been proved to
be eective for RAM and radome applications. RAM and radome designed by the FSS that
has stable transmission properties can be used to cut down the RCS in dierent circumstances.
Operating bandwidth of FSS is prospected to be further broadened. For instance, multilayer FSSs
are synthesized by genetic algorithm (GA) etc.
REFERENCES
1. Wang, W.-T., S.-X. Gong, C. Hu, X. Wang, and J. Ling, RCS reduction of antenna based on
quasi fractal FSS, Vol. 3, 15, 2010.
2. Munk, B. A., Frequency Selective Surface Theory and Design, Wiley-Interscience, New York,
2000.
3. Kazem Zadeh, A. and A. Karlsson, Capacitive circuit method for fast and ecient design of
wideband radar absorbers, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 57, No. 8,
23072314, Aug. 2009.
4. Nair, R. U. and R. M. Jha, Electromagnetic design and performance analysis of airborne
radomes: Trends and perspectives [antenna applications corner], IEEE Antennas and Prop-
agation Magazine, Vol. 56, No. 4, 276298, Aug. 2014.
5. Kazantsev, Y. N., et al., Broadening of operating frequency band of magnetic-type radio
absorbers by FSS incorporation, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 58,
No. 4, 12271235, Apr. 2010.
6. Bhattacharyya, A. K. and D. L. Sengupta, Radar Cross Section Analysis and Control, Artech
House, Boston, 1991.
7. Johnson, R. C., Antenna Engineering Handbook, McGraw-Hill, 1961.

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