SBIR Phase I: Metamaterial Volumetric Folded Antennas for Wireless Systems

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目探索了基于超材料体积折叠天线结构的新型无线天线技术。这种方法是在多层结构中压缩、扭曲和粉碎金属条或圆盘，以形成自调谐、带宽优化和小型化的天线。同时设计耦合线共模和差模的设计方法为射频和微波组件在无线技术中提供了许多机会。在面积受限的多层平台中，大幅缩短天线谐振长度和存储电磁能量，同时增加辐射功率的新方法是独一无二的，并开辟了许多有用的集成天线结构的可能性。研究方法是对超材料慢波导线进行折叠。这些折叠成多层的导线有效地利用了集成电路中的天线体积，并将辐射抗性提高了数倍。提出的想法结合了超材料慢波耦合线、折叠集成天线和体积线的理论，旨在实现小型化以及带宽和效率的优化，并在iPhone、全球定位系统、无线本地接入网络和全球系统移动设备方面提供比现有产品更具竞争优势的产品。这个项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是对无线通信技术和应用的影响，这些技术和应用在新世纪得到了巨大的增长。目前的无线技术致力于将多个网络合并为一个通信系统。对尺寸极其紧凑并能够实现多种功能的电子系统的需求在不断增加。随着无线电和数字芯片尺寸的缩小，射频无源元件，特别是天线，仍然是设备小型化的显著特征和瓶颈。该项目提供了一种独特的解决方案，可在不降低天线性能的情况下大幅减小尺寸。提出用超材料体积折叠天线取代传统的平面线天线的概念，将对射频通信系统产生更广泛的影响。这一新想法将立即引起市场对iPhone的需求。该产品可以扩展到其他无线网络，如全球卫星导航、射频识别、无线本地接入网络、蓝牙和寻呼系统。将所提出的技术集成到个人通信的无线产品中具有巨大的市场潜力。

This small business innovation research Phase I project explores novel wireless antenna technologies based on metamaterial volumetric folded antennas structures. The approach is to compress, twist, and fragment metal strips or discs in a multi-layer structure to form self-tuned, bandwidth optimized, and miniaturized antennas. The design methodology of engineering the coupled-line common and differential modes simultaneously presents many opportunities for radio-frequency and microwave components in wireless technology. The new approach of reducing dramatically antenna resonant length and stored electric and magnetic energy, at the same time, while increasing many times the radiated power in an area-constrained multi-layer platform is unique and opens up many possibilities of useful integrated antenna structures. The research methodology is to fold metamaterial slow-wave wires. Those folded wires spread out into multiple layers use effectively the antenna volume in integrated circuits and enhance many times the radiation resistance. The proposed ideas combine the theory of metamaterial slow-wave coupled lines, folded integrated antennas, and volumetric wires, aiming for miniaturization as well as the bandwidth and efficiency optimization and offering a competing edge over the existing products in iphone, global position systems, wireless local access network, and global system mobile devices. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is on wireless communication technologies and applications that have been under tremendous growth in this new century. Present wireless technology is geared toward the consolidation of multiple networks into one communication system. There is an ever increasing demand for electronics systems that are extremely compact in size and capable of multiple functionalities. As the radio and digital chip size becomes smaller, radio-frequency passive components, particularly antennas remain salient features and the bottleneck for device miniaturization. This project offers a unique solution for dramatic size reduction without degrading antenna performance. The proposed concept of metamaterial volumetric folded antennas to replace conventional planar wire antennas will have broader impact on radio-frequency communication systems. The new idea would have an immediate market demand on iphones. The product could expand into other wireless networks, such as global satellite navigation, radio-frequency identification, wireless local access network, Bluetooth, and paging systems. The integration of the proposed technology into the wireless products for personal communications has significant market potential.