Editing Beam steering

{{Short description|Changing the direction of the main lobe of a radiation pattern}}
{{more footnotes|date=March 2013}}
{{Antennas|techniques}}

'''Beam steering''' is a technique for changing the direction of the [[main lobe]] of a [[radiation pattern]].

In [[radio]] and [[radar]] systems, beam steering may be accomplished by [[RF switch|switching]] the [[antenna (electronics)|antenna]] elements or by changing the relative [[phase shifter|phases]] of the [[RF signal]]s driving the elements. As a result, this directs the transmit signal towards an intended receiver. In recent days, beam steering is playing a significant role in [[5G]] communication because of quasi-optic nature of 5G frequencies.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=A S|first1=Pradeep|last2=Bidkar|first2=G A|last3=D|first3=Thippesha|last4=Nagaraj|last5=M P M|first5=Spurthi|last6=Vishal|title=2020 IEEE International Conference on Distributed Computing, VLSI, Electrical Circuits and Robotics (DISCOVER) |chapter=Design of Compact Beam-Steering Antenna with a Novel Metasubstrate Structure |date=October 2020|chapter-url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9278085|pages=96–99|doi=10.1109/DISCOVER50404.2020.9278085|isbn=978-1-7281-9885-9 |s2cid=229358777 }}</ref>

In [[acoustics]], beam steering is used to direct the audio from [[loudspeaker]]s to a specific location in the listening area. This is done by changing the magnitude and phase of two or more loudspeakers installed in a column where the [[wave interference|combined sound]] is added and cancelled at the required position. Commercially, this type of loudspeaker arrangement is known as a [[line array]]. This technique has been around for many years but since the emergence of modern [[digital signal processing]] (DSP) technology there are now many commercially available products on the market. Beam steering and directivity Control using DSP was pioneered in the early 1990s by Duran Audio who launched a technology called DDC (Digital Directivity Control).

In [[optical system]]s, beam steering may be accomplished by changing the [[refractive index]] of the [[Transmission medium|medium]] through which the beam is transmitted or by the use of [[mirror]]s, [[Prism (optics)|prism]]s, [[Lens (optics)|lens]]es, or rotating [[diffraction grating]]s.  Examples of optical beam steering approaches include mechanical mirror-based [[gimbal]]s or beam-director units, [[galvanometer]] mechanisms that rotate mirrors, Risley prisms, [[phased-array optics]], and [[microelectromechanical system]]s using micro-mirrors.

Source: from [[Federal Standard 1037C]]

== Beam Steering Applications and Emerging Techniques ==
The scope of beam-steering technologies has broadened significantly with innovations that serve both traditional applications and emerging demands in fields such as satellite communication, radar, and 5G networks.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Flores-Vidal |first1=X. |last2=Flament |first2=P. |last3=Durazo |first3=R. |last4=Chavanne |first4=C. |last5=Gurgel |first5=K.-W. |date=2013 |title=High-Frequency Radars: Beamforming Calibrations Using Ships as Reflectors* |journal=Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages=638–648 |doi=10.1175/jtech-d-12-00105.1 |issn=0739-0572|doi-access=free |bibcode=2013JAtOT..30..638F }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last1=Jayakrishnan |first1=V M |last2=Vijayan |first2=Deepthy M |chapter=Performance Analysis of Smart Antenna for Marine Communication |date=2020 |title=2020 2nd International Conference on Innovative Mechanisms for Industry Applications (ICIMIA) |chapter-url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/icimia48430.2020.9074900 |publisher=IEEE |pages=88–91 |doi=10.1109/icimia48430.2020.9074900|isbn=978-1-7281-4167-1 }}</ref> Traditional methods like parabolic reflectors and phased arrays are now complemented by Reflectarray (RA) <ref>{{Cite book |last1=Nayeri |first1=Payam |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781118846728 |title=Reflectarray Antennas |last2=Yang |first2=Fan |last3=Elsherbeni |first3=Atef Z. |date=2018-02-06 |publisher=Wiley |doi=10.1002/9781118846728 |isbn=978-1-118-84676-6}}</ref> and Transmitarray (TA) <ref>{{Citation |last1=Abdelrahman |first1=Ahmed H. |title=Wideband Transmitarray Antennas |date=2017 |work=Synthesis Lectures on Antennas |pages=95–113 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-01541-0_6 |access-date=2024-11-03 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |isbn=978-3-031-00413-1 |last2=Yang |first2=Fan |last3=Elsherbeni |first3=Atef Z. |last4=Nayeri |first4=Payam|doi=10.1007/978-3-031-01541-0_6 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> antennas. These designs serve as high-gain, planar alternatives with advantages in cost, efficiency, and scalability, meeting modern requirements for compact and lightweight systems. One of the latest approaches in beam steering involves Near-Field Meta-Steering (NFMS),<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Afzal |first1=Muhammad U. |last2=Esselle |first2=Karu P. |date=2017 |title=Steering the Beam of Medium-to-High Gain Antennas Using Near-Field Phase Transformation |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/tap.2017.2670612 |journal=IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation |volume=65 |issue=4 |pages=1680–1690 |doi=10.1109/tap.2017.2670612 |bibcode=2017ITAP...65.1680A |issn=0018-926X|url-access=subscription }}</ref> which uses phase-gradient metasurfaces placed in close proximity to a feed antenna. This method achieves 3D beam steering by employing compact structures that allow wide-angle control over both elevation and azimuth, proving highly effective for systems where space and profile height are restricted. 

Beam steering has also found essential applications in high-speed, interference-free communication for defense and civilian markets. Satellite-based communication systems, for example, require dual-band beam-steering capabilities to handle uplink and downlink data streams simultaneously.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> The development of beam-steering antennas for Satellite Communication on the Move (SOTM) systems<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Esselle |first=Karu P. |chapter=A Brief Overview of Antenna Technologies for Communications-On- The-Move Satellite Communication Mobile Terminals |date=2020-07-05 |title=2020 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and North American Radio Science Meeting |chapter-url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ieeeconf35879.2020.9330396 |publisher=IEEE |pages=1637–1638 |doi=10.1109/ieeeconf35879.2020.9330396|isbn=978-1-7281-6670-4 }}</ref> highlights the need for antennas that are not only efficient but also lightweight, low-profile, and cost-effective. Challenges remain, including addressing cost constraints and achieving higher scanning speeds and wider bandwidths.<ref name=":1" />

== See also ==
* [[Beamforming]]
* [[Electron optics]]
* [[Phased array]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBFsisCjpBk Animation of beam steering using phased arrays on YouTube]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130331203825/http://www.duran-audio.com/index.php?page=technologies Duran Audio's Digital Directivity Control Technology]
* [https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9155894 Design of Cost-Effective Beam Steered Phased Array Antenna with Enhanced Gain using Metamaterial Lens]

[[Category:Antennas]]


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