Van Atta Array Reflector

AbstractThe Van Atta array reflector has the simplest structure for retrodirective arrays, which has found many applications in wireless communications, RF identification (RFID), and intelligent transportation systems (ITSs). The antennas of the Van Atta array are paired and connected by transmission lines with equal length or length differences equal to multiples of a guided wavelength. No active device is required in the basic type; thus this array is much simpler than other kinds of retrodirective arrays. In this literature, the operation principle and a brief development history of the Van Atta array are first described. The theoretical analysis to predict the scattering field pattern in both monostatic and bistatic cases and experimental results of the Van Atta array reflectors is depicted in detail in Section 2. In Section 3, several design examples including one‐dimensional and two‐dimensional Van Atta reflector arrays are introduced. The design concept and operational performance of different kinds of Van Atta arrays are given. Besides passive ones, various active Van Atta reflector arrays are also depicted in this section. Section 4 briefly discusses the applications of the Van Atta arrays, especially in the field of vehicle‐mounting reflectors associated with the ITS. A detailed description of using the Van Atta reflector to enhance the radar cross section (RCS) in vehicle collision warning radar systems and to compose a transponder in the electronic toll collection (ETC) system is conducted. Two examples of transponders using the Van Atta array are introduced in this section. Finally, Section 5 gives a brief summary of the study.