Radar Cross Section Reduction of a Microstrip Antenna Based on Polarization Conversion Metamaterial

A novel method aimed at reducing radar cross section (RCS) under incident waves with both x- and y-polarizations, with the radiation characteristics of the antenna preserved, is presented and investigated. The goal is accomplished by the implementation of the polarization conversion metamaterial (PCM) and the principle of passive cancellation. As a test case, a microstrip patch antenna is simulated and experimentally measured to demonstrate the proposed strategy for dramatic radar cross section reduction (RCSR). Results exhibit that in-band RCSR is as much as 16 dB compared to the reference antenna. In addition, the PCM has a contribution to a maximum RCSR value of 14 dB out of the operating band. With significant RCSR and unobvious effect on the radiation performance of the antenna, the proposed method has a wide application for the design of other antennas with a requirement of RCS control.