Super Compact Multilayer Left-handed Reconfigurable Metamaterials for RF/microwave Integrated Circuit Applications

用于射频/微波集成电路应用的超紧凑多层左手可重构超材料

• 批准号: EP/C015339/1
• 负责人: Zhirun Hu
• 金额: $ 27.15万
• 依托单位: University of Manchester
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2006 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FC015339%2F1
• 关键词: Super; Compact; Multilayer; Left; handed

The RF/Microwave industry for satellite, mobile and terrestrial communications is worth billions of dollars annually and the market is projected to grow at two digits per annum for the next decade due to the expected expansion in voice, data and entertainment (games, music and video) applications. The growth in data rates must be met technically with an increase in system bandwidth and reduced power consumption, whereas, from a business viewpoint increased profits will accrue from miniaturisation and increased integration. This is a major challenge facing the RF/Microwave research community and industry. A typical RF/microwave communications system consists of individual electronic modules such as the synthesised sources, mixers and amplifiers interconnected by couplers, filters and transmission lines which guide the signal to and from the antenna. Over the last few decades new devices and design techniques have led to improvements in the performance of the communications transceiver, but the overall size and topology have remained static. The fundamental problem is that the building block components such as quarter wavelength impedance transformers, couplers, filters and power dividers all have dimensions, which are fixed to the wavelength of the signal. This is the critical design issue which not only precludes size reduction and integration it also limits the system bandwidth. A step improvement in the performance and miniaturisation of RF/Microwave components and systems is proposed by designing super compact RF/microwave ICs using novel multilayer reconfigurable left-handed metamaterials. So far, only proof of principle left-handed metamaterials have been investigated in the research laboratory and we believe that the innovative ideas presented in this proposal will lead to full commercialisation of left-handed metamaterial components and subsequently revolutionise the performance of systems and introduce a technology change, which will drive down costs. The Government who have made it a priority for long-term research under their Foresight scheme has identified Metamaterials as one of four critical technological research areas. Science magazine has named left-handed metamaterials as one of the top ten scientific breakthroughs of 2003. We believe that at the University of Manchester we are in a unique position to exploit these opportunities as we have the ideas, expertise and the facilities to fully investigate the capability of these novel devices. We have industrial partners who are in a position to bring through the full commercialisation of the technology.

用于卫星、移动和地面通信的射频/微波行业每年价值数十亿美元，由于语音、数据和娱乐（游戏、音乐和视频）应用的预期扩张，预计未来十年市场将以每年两位数的速度增长。数据速率的增长必须在技术上以系统带宽的增加和功耗的降低来满足，而从商业角度来看，小型化和集成度的提高将增加利润。这是射频/微波研究界和工业界面临的主要挑战。典型的射频/微波通信系统由单独的电子模块组成，如合成源、混频器和放大器，通过耦合器、滤波器和传输线相互连接，这些传输线引导信号进出天线。在过去的几十年里，新的设备和设计技术已经导致了通信收发器性能的改进，但总体尺寸和拓扑结构仍然保持不变。最根本的问题是，诸如四分之一波长阻抗变压器、耦合器、滤波器和功率分配器等组成部分都有尺寸，这些尺寸固定在信号的波长上。这是一个关键的设计问题，它不仅阻碍了尺寸的缩小和集成，而且限制了系统带宽。利用新型多层可重构左手超材料设计超紧凑射频/微波集成电路，为射频/微波器件和系统的性能和小型化提供了新的途径。到目前为止，研究实验室只研究了左撇子超材料的原理证明，我们相信本提案中提出的创新理念将导致左撇子超材料组件的完全商业化，并随后彻底改变系统的性能，引入技术变革，这将降低成本。政府已根据其远见计划将其作为长期研究的优先事项，并将超材料确定为四个关键技术研究领域之一。《科学》杂志将左撇子超材料列为2003年十大科学突破之一。我们相信，在曼彻斯特大学，我们处于一个独特的位置来利用这些机会，因为我们有想法，专业知识和设施来充分研究这些新设备的能力。我们有工业合作伙伴，他们有能力将这项技术全面商业化。