Advanced Low-Cost Beam Scanning/Reconfigurable Antenna Design for Sub-6G and Millimeter-Wave Applications

Dynamic beam steering and pattern reconfigurability are now essential across the sub-6 GHz and millimeter-wave bands, which together form the backbone of 5G-Advanced/6G, Wi-Fi, radar, and IoT networks. Traditional phased arrays, however, remain prohibitively expensive for widespread commercial use. In response, emerging low-cost architectures - such as tunable metasurfaces, reconfigurable ground-planes, and substrate-integrated or additive-manufactured radiators- offer promising avenues to enhance coverage and capacity without the need for dense RF-chains, high-precision packaging, or complex calibration. Despite these advancements, achieving cost-effective solutions for mass-market deployment remains a critical challenge that must be addressed.

The primary aim of this Research Topic is to consolidate the latest advancements in antenna technology that overcome the cost barriers associated with beam-scanning and reconfigurable antennas operating in the sub-6 GHz and millimeter-wave bands. We seek novel antenna concepts that enable beam scanning or radiation pattern reconfiguration, accelerating the deployment of the next generation of wireless and sensing platforms. By integrating innovative beam-switching antenna designs with low-cost tuning technologies - such as PIN diodes, varactor devices, MEMS, liquid crystal, and ferroelectric materials - alongside intelligent optimization algorithms and scalable manufacturing techniques, this topic strives to contribute to a cross-frequency design paradigm that supports 5G-Advanced, 6G, and future Wi-Fi generations within both infrastructure and user-equipment segments.

The scope of this research topic encompasses a wide array of cost-effective solutions for dynamic beam steering and reconfigurable antennas. We welcome contributions on themes including:

- Low-cost tunable radiators
- Reconfigurable reflect-/transmit-arrays
- Parasitic and metasurface-based beam scanning
- Multibeam and leaky-wave antennas
- Substrate-integrated and 3D-printed antennas
- Hybrid RF/analogue/digital beam-forming circuits
- Co-design of antenna, package, and transceiver
- Measurement and over-the-air validation for sub-6 GHz and millimeter-wave systems

This topic invites authors to submit original research, reviews, and case studies that align with these themes and push the boundaries of antenna technology.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Beam scanning antenna, leaky-wave antenna, multibeam antenna, reconfigurable antenna, lens antenna, phased array antenna, antenna beamforming network.

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.