Tunable Gradient-Index Fishnet for Beam Steering Applications at 60 GHz

适用于 60 GHz 波束控制应用的可调谐梯度折射率渔网

• 批准号: 350604071
• 负责人: Professor Dr.-Ing. Christian Damm
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Institut für Mikrowellentechnik (MWT)
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2016-12-31 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/350604071?language=en
• 关键词: Tunable; Gradient; Index; Fishnet; Beam

Modern communication systems need antennas with steerable radiation direction. With that, moving communication partners can always be provided with an optimal signal by redirecting the antenna to the mobile partner. Mechanical antenna steering is unreliable and cost intensive. Therefore, electronic steering is preferred. In this project, a new way of realizing electrically steerable antennas will be developed. For this purpose, liquid crystal (LC) material as it is known from LC displays will be used as tunable material. It will be combined with Metamaterial structures. Metamaterials are artificial periodic structures with arbitrarily tailorable material properties. Their properties can even go beyond material properties of natural materials. By the combination of LC and Metamaterials it is possible to develop lightweight low profile structures which can be arranged like a lens in front of a common antenna. Using the electrical steering of the lens properties, the antenna radiation can be steered as desired.The proof of concept of such structures was done in our previous project. However, the beam steering was only possible in one dimension and with limited scanning angle range. Therefore a new structure will be developed which allows beam steering in two dimensions and with increased scanning range. Furthermore, the frequency of operation will be increased to 60 GHz to be usable for next generations WiFi devices. To this end, extensive research needs to be done regarding the new two-dimensional tuning concept. Likewise, time dependent effects on the antenna characteristics have to be studied. Besides the theoretic aspects, new fabrication techniques have to be developed so that the liquid material can be precisely sealed in several separate thin layers. The inclusion of appropriate electrodes for the LC steering will be studied as well.

现代通信系统需要具有可通行的辐射方向的天线。这样，可以通过将天线重定向到移动伙伴来为移动沟通合作伙伴提供最佳信号。机械天线转向是不可靠的，并且成本密集。因此，首选电子转向。在这个项目中，将开发一种新的实现电气可通道天线的方式。为此，从LC显示中已知的液晶（LC）材料将用作可调材料。它将与超材料结构结合使用。超材料是具有任意量身定制材料特性的人造周期性结构。它们的特性甚至可以超越天然材料的材料特性。通过LC和超材料的结合，可以开发出轻质的低剖面结构，这些结构可以像公共天线前的镜头一样排列。使用透镜特性的电动转向，可以根据需要进行天线辐射。此类结构的概念证明是在我们以前的项目中完成的。但是，仅在一个维度和有限的扫描角范围内进行梁转向。因此，将开发出一个新的结构，该结构允许横梁转向二维并增加扫描范围。此外，操作频率将增加到60 GHz，可用于下一代WiFi设备。为此，有关新的二维调整概念需要进行广泛的研究。同样，必须研究对天线特性的时间依赖性影响。除了理论方面，还必须开发新的制造技术，以便可以将液体材料精确密封在几个单独的薄层中。还将研究为LC转向的合适电极。