satish kumar sharma

Multifunctional and Multiple Radiating Modes Beam Steering Antennas

This talk will focus on multifunctional and multiple-radiating-mode beam-steering antennas. Multifunctional antennas and arrays can deliver multiple functionalities, such as frequency agility, frequency and polarization reconfiguration, and radiation pattern reconfiguration, as well as combinations of these. This topic is crucial for antenna engineers and researchers, particularly in 5G/6G technology, where multifunctional arrays are expected to play a significant role. However, achieving these capabilities also adds complexity to antenna design and implementation. The talk will showcase representative examples of multifunctional array antennas developed at the Antenna and Microwave Lab (AML) at San Diego State University (SDSU). Similarly, by selecting the appropriate number of radiating modes in an antenna structure, specific radiation pattern characteristics and beam steering capabilities can be achieved through precise control of amplitude and phase. The discussion will begin with a novel multi-mode microstrip patch antenna offering limited beam steering capabilities. Next, a beam-peak and null-steering circularly polarized receive antenna for the Global Positioning System (GPS) will be presented, featuring a dual-mode annular patch antenna and an active feed network. Following this, a triple-mode concentric annular patch antenna, capable of simultaneously steering two independent nulls, will be explored. The talk will also cover a linear array beam-steering antenna with an advanced active beamforming network (BFN), demonstrating enhanced beam steering with minimal scan loss or gain reduction. Additionally, a dual-radiating-mode phased array antenna using flat-panel technology, including its beamforming network and grating-lobe suppression, will be discussed. The presentation will conclude with an overview of the challenges in design, analysis, fabrication, and experimental verification, as well as insights into future research directions.

Satish Kumar Sharma, IEEE Fellow, received his Ph. D. degree in Electronics Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), India, in August 1997. He received his Bachelor of Technology in Electronics Engineering from Kamla Nehru Institute of Technology, India 1991. He was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Manitoba, Canada, from March 1999 to May 2001. He joined InfoMagnetics Technologies (IMT) Corporation, Winnipeg, Canada, as a Senior Antenna Engineer from May 2001 to August 2006. While at IMT, he was also a Part-Time Research Associate at the University of Manitoba until August 2006. Dr. Sharma joined San Diego State University (SDSU) as an Assistant Professor in August 2006. He established the Antenna and Microwave Laboratory (AML) shortly after joining SDSU and has led the AML as its Director since then. He became a tenured Associate Professor in August 2010. He was promoted to full Professor in August 2014 and currently holds this position. He received the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s prestigious faculty early career development (CAREER) award in 2009. He also received the 2015 IEEE AP-S Harold A. Wheeler Prize Paper Award. He was Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Antennas & Propagation and IEEE Antennas, Wireless & Propagation Letters. He is an IEEE AP-S Distinguished Lecturer (2025-2027), IEEE AP-S AdCom member (2025-2027), and the 2025 inaugural Chair of the Technical Committee on Security (TC9): Security, Defense, Disaster Management. His research lab can analyze, design, develop, and verify antennas from VHF to millimeter wave (110 GHz) frequencies. He has advised and mentored more than 110 undergraduate/graduate students and Post-Doctoral Fellows/visiting research scholars. Dr. Sharma has published over 335 journal and conference papers and holds three US and Canadian patents. He co-edited three volumes of “Handbook of Reflector Antennas and Feed Systems”, published by Artech House in May/June 2013. His other co-authored book, “Multifunctional Antennas and Arrays for Wireless Communication Systems”, was published by IEEE-Press/Wiley in April 2021. He has collaborated with industry professionals on SBIR/STTR Phase I and II projects funded by DARPA, SPAWAR, Missile Defense Agency, and the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) in addition to projects from the NSF and Office of Naval Research (ONR). He has also served as an engineer/consultant for several wireless and defense companies. He is also the CEO/founder of 5GAntennaTech, LLC. His research interests include microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies, beam steering antennas, flat panel phased array antennas, reconfigurable and tunable antennas, 3D printed antennas, inkjet printed conformal antennas, massive MIMO antennas, antennas for Cube-Satellites, reflector antennas and their feed systems, and metasurface antennas.