Abstract
In this paper, the 5-element active phased array antennas coupled through slotline between elements are designed and fabricated. A recent studies on the active phased array antennas using the transmission line coupling which can be designed to provide strong coupling and the appropriate coupling phase. But this sturucture has limitation of expanding in two dimensions for planar active phased array antennas and distortion of the radiation pattern caused by coupling network. Thus our work proposes the slotline coupling structure asthe broadband coupling network for the active phased array antenna. In experiment, 5-elements active phased array antenas have steering range from -30.deg. to 20.deg. off broadside as the free-running frequencies of end elements are controlled. The overall results show that the proposed slotline coupling structure is suited for the coupling network in the actie phased array antenna system. And the proposed coupling structire solves the expansion problem and eliminates the distortion of the radiation pattern caused by the spurious radiation of the transmission line coupling network. Thus thiscan be expanded to two dimensional coupling network for the planar active phased array antenna system.
