Multi-functional metamaterials and antennas for RF/Microwave communication and sensing devices

无线连接在现代社会中正变得越来越重要，据预测，到2022年，仅英国就有数亿台联网设备，每天进行超过10亿次数据交易。这些连接中的很大一部分将是通过快速增长的物联网(IoT)进行的机器对机器(M2M)通信，物联网将连接大量传感设备，以实现广泛的应用。根据应用的不同，这些无线连接将覆盖从低UHF到毫米波段的大范围射频(RF)和微波频谱。为了满足设想的系统的需求，物联网需要具有增强功能和多功能的紧凑型无线设备和传感器。为飞行器(包括无人驾驶飞行器-UAV)和汽车开发新的通信和传感系统，对于自动驾驶飞行器和无人驾驶汽车等下一代这些平台的成功部署也变得至关重要。军用和民用飞机以及汽车需要满足对射频通信和感应能力日益增长的需求。随着目前空中/汽车和紧凑物联网设备中无线连接功能的增加，天线的大小和数量可能最终决定系统的总体尺寸、成本和/或功率要求(例如，物联网传感器的电池寿命)。解决上述挑战的一个有前途的解决方案是发展射频/微波超材料科学。超材料和超表面是一种人造结构，能够实现天然材料所不具备的电磁特性和行为。这项提议旨在开发多功能和可调超材料的新范例，使新型多功能天线的开发能够适用于上述两个主要应用领域，即物联网无线设备和自动驾驶飞机/汽车。这项工作的结果将使英国处于这一革命性领域发展的中心。重要的是，这项提议将一个领先的学术研究小组与关键的工业合作伙伴聚集在一起，他们将帮助制定该计划，并缩短基础研究和产品开发之间的滞后，从而进一步增加影响。

Wireless connectivity is becoming increasingly important in modern society with a forecast of several hundreds of millions of connected devices in the UK alone by 2022, carrying out more than a billion daily data transactions. A large part of these connections will be machine-to-machine (M2M) communications through the rapidly increasing Internet of Things (IoT) that will connect a large number of sensing devices for a wide range of applications. Depending on the application, these wireless connections will span a large area of the radio frequency (RF) and microwave spectrum, from low UHF to mm-wave bands. Compact wireless devices and sensors for IoT with enhanced capabilities and multiple functionalities are required in order to meet the demands of the envisaged systems. The development of new communication and sensing systems for aircrafts (including unmanned air vehicles - UAVs) and automotive vehicles is also becoming crucial for the successful deployment of the next generations of these platforms, such as autonomous air vehicles and driverless cars. Military and civilian aircrafts as well as automotive vehicles are required to cope with an increasing demand for radio frequency communication and sensing capability. With the current trend of increasing wireless connectivity functionalities both in air/automotive vehicles and in compact IoT devices, the size and number of antennas may end up defining the overall size, cost and/or power requirements (e.g. battery life in the case of IoT sensors) of the system.A promising solution to the challenges outlined above is the developing science of RF/microwave metamaterials. Metamaterials and metasurfaces are artificial structures capable of achieving electromagnetic properties and behaviours that are not available from natural materials. This proposal aims to develop new paradigms of multi-functional and tunable metamaterials that will enable the development of novel multi-functional antennas for the two major applications sectors mentioned above, namely IoT wireless devices and autonomous air/automotive vehicles.The outcomes of this work would place the UK at the centre of developments in this transformative area. Importantly, this proposal brings together a leading academic research group with key industrial partners who will help to shape the programme and shorten the lag between fundamental research and product development thus further increasing impact generation.