Enabling metamaterial solutions for antennas in wireless internet service provision (WISP)

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In wireless internet service provision (WISP), any efforts to render antennas more compact, low-profile, ormultifunctional can bring certain challenges such as increased mutual coupling and complex antennaarchitectures, all of which variously enlarge antenna footprints, complicate design, and present fabricationchallenges. Although solutions exist for these challenges, they may actually increase the size, weight,complexity, and cost of the antenna, and they typically employ ad-hoc or otherwise empirical design methods.A separate challenge is the known effect of radomes on radiation parameters. These structures, whose shapesare dictated by application-specific parameters such as wind resistance and aesthetics, are not typicallyexploited to enhance antenna properties, although they present an interesting opportunity to do so.The above challenges demand a more robust solution drawing on new paradigms in antenna design. One suchparadigm is that of electromagnetic (EM) 'metamaterials' (MTMs), which are periodic structures engineered tocreate exotic wave-propagation characteristics - often unavailable using natural materials - and which may befurther classified into several types. Among these are EM bandgap structures (EBGs) and certain incarnationsof frequency-selective surfaces (FSSs), where the former are typically used to tailor propagation inguided-wave applications (e.g. waveguides and TLs) and the latter are typically used to engineer thetransmission and reflection response of waves in free space.The proposed collaboration with KP Performance Inc. (Edmonton, AB -- abbreviated KPPA) will investigatedesigning compact multifunction diversity antennas that incorporate recent advances in MTM-based EBGtechnology to enable broadband and/or multi-band operation with reduced mutual coupling. A second aspect ofthis work will examine patterning antenna radomes and ground planes using MTM-based FSSs and EBGs,respectively, to effect better half-power beamwidth roll-off, low side-lobes, and improved front-to-back ratios.