Abstract
In this paper, we propose a Photonic Crystal (PhC) resonator based
corner reflector for sensing the Angle-of-Arrival (AoA) of the incident
wave from an interrogator. The sensor is constructed of joining a flat
metal plate with a one-dimensional PhC resonator at an angle of 90°. The
PhC resonator is designed by inserting a defect layer between two
quarter-wave Bragg mirrors in order to create a deep notch in the
backscattering. While the PhC resonator provides unique spectral
signatures in the ‘’specular direction” related to AoA (i.e. by
shifting the notch position), the corner configuration allows the
back-scattering of these signatures to the direction of the
interrogator. As a proof of concept, EM simulation and measurement are
performed in W-band on a 40-mm squared PhC resonator perpendicularly
joined with a same size metal plate. Based on signatures, a resolution
of less than 6° can be achieved in the angular range -35° to 35°. Due to
the corner configuration that allows a high Radar Cross Section (RCS),
the proposed sensor shows the potential of sensing the AoA at long
reading ranges.