A Reconfigurable Reflectarray with 1-bit Wideband and 2-bit Precision Operation

This paper presents a reconfigurable reflectarray element capable of dynamically switching between a 1-bit wideband mode and a 2-bit mode using a fixed geometry with four PIN diodes. By leveraging multi-mode resonance and a diagonally oriented quad-switch topology, the element achieves polarization-rotating 1-bit operation over an exceptionally wide 10.5-19 GHz band, while providing locally enhanced 2-bit phase quantization near 18 GHz. Full-wave simulations of a 16×16 reflectarray verify accurate beam steering with low sidelobes and good cross-polarization performance. Notably, the added 2-bit functionality requires no structural complexity beyond the baseline 1-bit design. The proposed architecture introduces an efficient approach to reconfigurable reflectarrays with adaptive bit resolution and tunable phase control, offering strong potential for broadband communication, sensing, and radar applications.