Analyses of Grating Lobe and Beam Fixation Problems of Low-Profile Dynamic Antenna

Dynamic metasurface antennas (DMAs) and dynamic antenna arrays (DAAs) are emerging concepts in low-profile antenna design, providing alternative structures with lower circuit complexity and power requirements for radar and communication systems. However, dynamic antennas are prone to significant grating lobe and beam fixation problems due to their discrete amplitude and phase control. The reasons behind these issues are explored through mathematical and simulation analysis of three specific cases, and solutions are subsequently proposed and partially experimentally verified.