Antennas, antenna arrays, and electronic devices

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide an antenna, an antenna array and an electronic device. The antenna comprises a conductive metasurface structure, a conductive patch layer and a dual-pole short-circuit feeding structure. The patch layer is arranged between the metasurface structure and the dual-pole short-circuit feeding structure. The dual-pole short-circuit feeding structure comprises two short-circuit feeding structures. Each short-circuit feeding structure comprises three branches. One of the branches comprises a connection point, and the one branch is grounded at the connection point. The other two branches are connected to the one branch at the connection point, and the one branch is arranged between the other two branches. Each short-circuit feeding structure further comprises a feeding line. One end of the feeding line is connected to one end of the one branch, and the other end of the feeding line is provided with an antenna feeding point. The dual-pole short-circuit feeding structure and the patch layer are coupled, and the patch layer and the metasurface structure are coupled. The obtained antenna is a low-profile antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication, and more particularly to an antenna, antenna array, and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of 5G mobile communication technology, electronic devices are becoming increasingly multifunctional. Employing multifunctional antennas can effectively reduce the space occupied by antennas. Furthermore, as various electronic devices require lighter and thinner designs, the space allocated for antennas is becoming increasingly limited, necessitating miniaturization of antennas. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a miniaturized antenna. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides an antenna, an antenna array, and an electronic device, the antenna having a low profile.

[0004] In a first aspect, an antenna is provided, comprising: a conductive metasurface structure, a conductive patch layer, and a bipolar short-circuit feed structure, wherein the patch layer is disposed between the metasurface structure and the bipolar short-circuit feed structure, wherein the bipolar short-circuit feed structure includes a first short-circuit feed structure and a second short-circuit feed structure, the first short-circuit feed structure includes a first stub, a second stub, a third stub, and a first feed wire, the third stub including a first connection point, the first stub and the second stub being connected to the third stub at the first connection point, and the third stub being disposed between the first stub and the second stub, one end of the first feed wire being connected to the third stub, and the other end of the first feed wire having a first feed point. The first feed point is used to feed the antenna, and the third branch is grounded at the first connection point; the second short-circuit feed structure includes a fourth branch, a fifth branch, a sixth branch, and a second feed line, the sixth branch includes a second connection point, the fourth and fifth branches are connected to the sixth branch at the second connection point, and the sixth branch is disposed between the fourth and fifth branches, one end of the second feed line is connected to the sixth branch, and the other end of the second feed line is provided with a second feed point, the second feed point is used to feed the antenna, and the sixth branch is grounded at the second connection point; the bipolar short-circuit feed structure is coupled to the patch layer, and the patch layer is coupled to the metasurface structure.

[0005] The antenna provided by the above scheme includes: a conductive metasurface structure, a conductive patch layer, and a bipolar short-circuit feed structure. The patch layer is disposed between the metasurface structure and the bipolar short-circuit feed structure. The bipolar short-circuit feed structure includes two short-circuit feed structures, each containing three stubs. One stub includes a connection point, and this stub is grounded at the connection point. The other two stubs are connected to this first stub at the connection point, and the first stub is positioned between the other two stubs. Each short-circuit feed structure also includes a feed wire, one end of which is connected to one end of the first stub, and the other end serves as the antenna's feed point. The bipolar short-circuit feed structure and the patch layer are coupled together, and the patch layer and the metasurface structure are coupled together. This antenna is a low-profile antenna.

[0006] For example, the resonant point of the first frequency band of the antenna is formed by the TM10 mode resonance of the bipolar short-circuit feed structure and the metasurface structure; and / or the resonant point of the second frequency band of the antenna is formed by the TM10 mode resonance of the cladding layer and the reverse TM20 mode resonance of the metasurface structure, wherein the second frequency band is higher than the first frequency band.

[0007] In one example, the first frequency band can cover 24.25 GHz to 29.5 GHz. The second frequency band can cover 37 GHz to 43.5 GHz.

[0008] The resonant point of the antenna's first frequency band is formed by the TM10 mode resonance of the bipolar short-circuit feed structure and the metasurface structure; and / or, the resonant point of the antenna's second frequency band is formed by the TM10 mode resonance of the cladding layer and the reverse TM20 mode resonance of the metasurface structure. Thus, the antenna can cover multiple millimeter-wave frequency bands, for example, it can cover, but is not limited to, the n257, n258, n259, and n260 bands of millimeter waves.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the length of the first branch and the length of the second branch are not the same; and / or, the length of the fourth branch and the length of the fifth branch are not the same; and / or, the length of the first branch and the length of the fourth branch are the same; and / or, the length of the second branch and the length of the fifth branch are the same.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the difference between the length of the first stub and λ / 4 is less than or equal to a first threshold, and the difference between the length of the second stub and λ / 4 is less than or equal to a second threshold, where λ is the wavelength in vacuum corresponding to the center frequency of the first frequency band of the antenna.

[0011] The first threshold and the second threshold can be preset values.

[0012] For example, the first threshold and the second threshold can both be two different values ​​that are approximately 0. In this case, the length of the first branch is approximately equal to λ / 4, and the length of the second branch is also approximately equal to λ / 4.

[0013] When the difference between the length of the first stub and λ / 4 in the first short-circuit feed structure is less than or equal to a first threshold, the difference between the length of the second stub and λ / 4 is less than or equal to a second threshold, and the first connection point of the first short-circuit feed structure is grounded, the first short-circuit feed structure can approximately constitute a λ / 4 resonator. Furthermore, since the resonant point of the antenna's first frequency band is formed by the TM10 mode resonance of the bipolar short-circuit feed structure and the metasurface structure, when the first short-circuit feed structure approximately constitutes a λ / 4 resonator, the bandwidth of the antenna's first frequency band can be extended.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the difference between the length of the fourth branch and λ / 4 is less than or equal to a third threshold, and the difference between the length of the fifth branch and λ / 4 is less than or equal to a fourth threshold.

[0015] The third and fourth thresholds can be preset values.

[0016] For example, the third threshold and the fourth threshold can both be two different values ​​that are approximately 0. In this case, the length of the fourth branch is approximately equal to λ / 4, and the length of the fifth branch is also approximately equal to λ / 4.

[0017] When the difference between the length of the fourth branch and λ / 4 in the second short-circuit feed structure is less than or equal to the first threshold, the difference between the length of the fifth branch and λ / 4 is less than or equal to the second threshold, and the second connection point of the second short-circuit feed structure is grounded, the second short-circuit feed structure can approximately constitute a λ / 4 resonator. In addition, since the resonant point of the first frequency band of the antenna is formed by the TM10 mode resonance of the bipolar short-circuit feed structure and the metasurface structure, the first frequency band bandwidth of the antenna can be extended when the second short-circuit feed structure approximately constitutes a λ / 4 resonator.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the patch layer includes a patch with raised structures on its edges.

[0019] The impedance bandwidth of an antenna can be improved by adding raised structures to the edges of the patch. For example, this increases the impedance bandwidth of the antenna.

[0020] For example, the patch may be a circular metal patch. For instance, the diameter of the circular metal patch may be 1.94 mm.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the polarization direction of the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure is orthogonal to the polarization direction of the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feed structure.

[0022] The polarization direction of the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feeding structure can be understood as the polarization direction of the wave that can be excited by the first short-circuit feeding structure when the first feeding point of the first short-circuit feeding structure is fed.

[0023] The polarization direction of the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feed structure can be understood as the polarization direction of the wave that can be excited by the second short-circuit feed structure when the second feed point of the second short-circuit feed structure is fed.

[0024] In one feasible embodiment, the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure is polarized in the vertical direction, and the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feed structure is polarized in the horizontal direction.

[0025] In another possible implementation, the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure is polarized in the +45° direction, and the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feed structure is polarized in the -45° direction.

[0026] In one implementation, the metasurface structure includes a 4×4 first square patch.

[0027] In another implementation, the metasurface structure includes a first square patch with a 4×4 section cut off at the diagonal.

[0028] For example, the lateral dimension of the first square patch is 1.18mm × 1.18mm.

[0029] By configuring the metasurface structure as a first square patch with a diagonal cut-off 4×4, the size of the antenna can be reduced. Furthermore, the antenna performance remains unaffected, thus achieving antenna miniaturization.

[0030] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the antenna includes a ground layer, the ground layer being provided with a first short-circuit metal structure and a second short-circuit metal structure, the first connection point being connected to the first short-circuit metal structure, and the second connection point being connected to the second short-circuit metal structure.

[0031] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the grounding layer is provided with a first feed probe structure and a second feed probe structure, the first feed probe structure being connected to the first feed point, and the second feed probe structure being connected to the second feed point.

[0032] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the grounding layer is further provided with at least one metal pillar, which is disposed between the first short-circuit metal structure and the second short-circuit metal structure.

[0033] For example, the height of the at least one metal column can be 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm. For instance, the height of the at least one metal column is 0.05 mm.

[0034] By providing at least one metal pillar between the first short-circuit metal structure and the second short-circuit metal structure in the grounding layer, the isolation between the feed terminals of the first short-circuit metal structure and the second short-circuit metal structure can be improved.

[0035] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the antenna further includes a first dielectric substrate, a second dielectric substrate, and a third dielectric substrate; the metasurface structure is disposed on the first dielectric substrate; the patch layer is disposed on the second dielectric substrate; and the bipolar short-circuit feed structure is disposed on the third dielectric substrate.

[0036] For example, the thicknesses of the first dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate, and the third dielectric substrate are 0.1 mm, 0.07 mm, and 0.33 mm, respectively.

[0037] The height (or thickness) of this antenna configuration is the sum of the thicknesses of the first, second, and third dielectric substrates and the height of at least one metal pillar, which is 0.55 mm. In other words, the antenna's cross-section is 0.55 mm.

[0038] For example, the lateral dimensions of the first dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate, and / or the third dielectric substrate are 7mm × 7mm.

[0039] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the antenna includes: at least one through-hole, the at least one through-hole penetrating the first dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate and the third dielectric substrate, wherein the at least one through-hole is on the first dielectric substrate around the metasurface structure.

[0040] By setting through-holes around the metasurface structure to penetrate the three-layer dielectric substrate, the impedance of the antenna can be further improved so that the impedance matches the preset value.

[0041] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the cross-section of the antenna is less than or equal to 0.045λ, where λ is the wavelength in vacuum corresponding to the center frequency of the first frequency band of the antenna.

[0042] In a second aspect, an antenna array is provided, comprising at least two antennas as described in the first aspect or any of certain implementations of the first aspect.

[0043] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, when the polarization direction of the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure is +45° and the polarization direction of the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feed structure is -45°, the angle between the diagonal of the metasurface structure of each antenna and the third or sixth stub is 45°.

[0044] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the metasurface structures of adjacent antennas have overlapping regions.

[0045] Overlapping the metasurface structures of adjacent antennas can reduce the size of the antenna array. This achieves the requirement for antenna array miniaturization. Furthermore, when this antenna array is installed in electronic devices, it occupies less space, thus meeting user needs.

[0046] Furthermore, by overlapping the metasurface structures of adjacent antennas, the scanning performance of the antenna array is improved. In other words, reducing the antenna array size does not affect its performance.

[0047] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the overlapping area is the area corresponding to the first square patch.

[0048] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, where the metasurface structure includes a first square patch with a 4×4 cut off diagonally, the first square patch is not a first square patch with a cut off diagonally.

[0049] Thirdly, an electronic device is provided, comprising an antenna as described in the first aspect or any of its implementations, or an antenna array as described in the second aspect or any of its implementations. Attached Figure Description

[0050] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0051] Figure 2 This is a planar schematic diagram of an antenna.

[0052] Figure 3 This is a planar schematic diagram of another example of an antenna.

[0053] Figure 4 and Figure 5 This is yet another example of a planar schematic diagram of an antenna.

[0054] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of an example antenna provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0055] Figure 7 for Figure 6 The diagram shows the S-parameters of the antenna.

[0056] Figure 8 for Figure 6 The diagram shows the gain of the antenna.

[0057] Figure 9 This is a schematic structural diagram of another antenna provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0058] Figure 10 for Figure 9 The diagram shows the S-parameters of the antenna.

[0059] Figure 11 for Figure 9 The diagram shows the gain of the antenna.

[0060] Figure 12 This is a schematic structural diagram of an example antenna array provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0061] Figure 13 This is a schematic structural diagram of another example of an antenna array provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0062] Figure 14 for Figure 13 The diagram shows the S-parameters of the antenna array.

[0063] Figure 15 for Figure 13 The antenna array shown has a radiation pattern at the center frequency of the first frequency band.

[0064] Figure 16 for Figure 13 The antenna array shown has a radiation pattern at the center frequency of the second frequency band. Detailed Implementation

[0065] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0066] It should be understood that in this application, "electrical connection" can be understood as physical contact and electrical conduction between components; it can also be understood as a form of connection between different components in a circuit structure through physical lines that can transmit electrical signals, such as copper foil or wires on a printed circuit board (PCB). "Communication connection" can refer to the transmission of electrical signals, including wireless communication connections and wired communication connections. Wireless communication connections do not require a physical medium and are not a connection relationship that limits the product structure. "Connection" and "connected" can both refer to a mechanical or physical connection relationship. For example, A connecting to B or A being connected to B can mean that there are fastening components (such as screws, bolts, rivets, etc.) between A and B, or that A and B are in contact with each other and are difficult to separate.

[0067] The grounding layer or metal layer involved in the embodiments of this application is made of a conductive material. In one embodiment, the conductive material may be any of the following materials: copper, aluminum, stainless steel, brass and their alloys, copper foil on an insulating substrate, aluminum foil on an insulating substrate, gold foil on an insulating substrate, silver-plated copper, silver-plated copper foil on an insulating substrate, silver foil and tin-plated copper on an insulating substrate, cloth impregnated with graphite powder, graphite-coated substrate, copper-plated substrate, brass-plated substrate, and aluminum-plated substrate. Those skilled in the art will understand that the grounding layer / metal layer may also be made of other conductive materials.

[0068] In this application embodiment, the x-direction can be understood as the width / length direction of the antenna, the z-direction can be understood as the height (thickness) direction of the antenna.

[0069] The lateral dimension involved in the embodiments of this application can be understood as the dimension in a plane (xy plane) perpendicular to the antenna height / thickness direction.

[0070] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the terminology involved in this application will be introduced below.

[0071] Q-factor: Quality factor, used in antennas to measure the ratio of the energy stored in the antenna to the energy radiated by the antenna. The quality factor is inversely proportional to bandwidth.

[0072] Antenna isolation: This refers to the ratio of the signal received by one antenna through another to the signal received by the transmitting antenna. Isolation is a physical quantity used to measure the degree of mutual coupling between antennas. The greater the isolation between antennas, the less mutual coupling they have; conversely, the smaller the isolation, the greater the mutual coupling. Antenna isolation depends on factors such as the antenna radiation pattern, the spatial distance between antennas, and the antenna gain.

[0073] Low-profile antenna: refers to an antenna with a relatively small height or thickness.

[0074] Dual polarization of an antenna: An antenna can excite waves in two polarization directions.

[0075] S-parameters: These are the scattering parameters. For example, an antenna may have feed input port A and feed input port B. AA S is the reflection coefficient of port A, which is also the input return loss; BB S is the reflection coefficient of port B, which is also the output return loss; AB S is the reverse transmission coefficient from port B to port A, which is also the isolation factor; BA This represents the forward transmission coefficient from port A to port B.

[0076] Antenna return loss: This can be understood as the ratio of the signal power reflected back to the antenna port after passing through the antenna circuit to the transmit power at the antenna port. The smaller the reflected signal, the larger the signal radiated into space through the antenna, and the higher the antenna's radiation efficiency. Conversely, the larger the reflected signal, the smaller the signal radiated into space through the antenna, and the lower the antenna's radiation efficiency.

[0077] Front-to-back ratio: refers to the ratio of the level in the direction of maximum radiation (forward) to the level in its opposite direction (backward).

[0078] Radiation pattern: The distribution of the electromagnetic field radiated by the antenna on a sphere with a radius of a certain distance from the antenna, as a function of spatial angles (including azimuth and elevation).

[0079] E-plane: electric field, that is, the plane in which the electric field excited by the source is located inside the antenna.

[0080] H-plane: Magnetic field plane, that is, the plane where the magnetic field formed by the change of electric field is located.

[0081] The technical solutions provided in this application are applicable to electronic devices employing one or more of the following communication technologies: Bluetooth (BT) communication technology, Global Positioning System (GPS) communication technology, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) communication technology, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) communication technology, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) communication technology, Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication technology, 5G communication technology, and other future communication technologies. The electronic devices in the embodiments of this application can be mobile phones, tablets, laptops, smart bracelets, smartwatches, smart helmets, smart glasses, etc. Electronic devices can also be cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, electronic devices in 5G networks, or electronic devices in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs), etc., and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0082] Below, we will take a mobile phone as an example of an electronic device, combined with... Figure 1 The internal environment of the electronic device provided in this application is described.

[0083] Figure 1 The internal environment of the electronic device provided in this application. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the electronic device 10 may include: a cover glass 13, a display screen 15, a printed circuit board (PCB) 17, a housing 19, and a rear cover 21.

[0084] The glass cover 13 can be set close to the display screen 15, and can be mainly used to protect the display screen 15 from dust.

[0085] In one embodiment, the display screen 15 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED), or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), etc., and this application does not limit it.

[0086] The printed circuit board PCB 17 can be made of flame-retardant material (FR-4) dielectric, Rogers dielectric, or a hybrid dielectric of Rogers and FR-4, etc. Here, FR-4 is a designation for a flame-retardant material grade, and Rogers dielectric is a type of high-frequency board. A metal layer can be provided on the side of the printed circuit board PCB 17 near the middle frame 19. This metal layer can be formed by etching metal onto the surface of the PCB 17. This metal layer can be used to ground the electronic components carried on the printed circuit board PCB 17 to prevent electric shock to the user or damage to the equipment. This metal layer can be called a PCB ground plane. Besides the PCB ground plane, the electronic device 10 can also have other grounding surfaces, such as a metal middle frame.

[0087] The electronic device 10 may also include a battery. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). The battery can be placed inside the middle frame 19. The battery can divide the PCB 17 into a main board and a sub-board. The main board can be placed between the middle frame 19 and the upper edge of the battery, and the sub-board can be placed between the middle frame 19 and the lower edge of the battery.

[0088] The mid-frame 19 primarily serves to support the entire device. The mid-frame 19 may include a bezel 11, which can be formed of a conductive material such as metal. The bezel 11 can extend around the periphery of the electronic device 10 and the display screen 15, specifically surrounding the four sides of the display screen 15 to help secure it. In one implementation, the bezel 11, made of metal, can be directly used as the metal bezel of the electronic device 10, forming a metal bezel appearance suitable for a metal ID. In another implementation, the outer surface of the bezel 11 can also be made of a non-metallic material, such as a plastic bezel, forming a non-metallic bezel appearance suitable for a non-metallic ID.

[0089] The back cover 21 can be made of metal or non-conductive material, such as glass or plastic.

[0090] Understandable, Figure 1 The structure of the illustrated electronic device 10 does not constitute a specific limitation on the electronic device 10. For example, Figure 1The electronic device 10 is shown only schematically, and the actual shape, size, and construction of these components are not subject to change. Figure 1 Limitations. For example, electronic device 10 may also include more or fewer components than illustrated, or combine some components, or separate some components, or have different component arrangements. The illustrated components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both.

[0091] Millimeter waves have become a research hotspot in 5G due to their abundant spectrum resources, making them well-suited for future ultra-high-speed communication needs. Extensive research has been conducted on millimeter waves to date, and various millimeter-wave systems have been widely applied. With the development of millimeter-wave chips, highly integrated radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) require easily integrated, easily fabricated, and low-profile millimeter-wave antennas. However, most current low-profile millimeter-wave antennas suffer from the drawback of achieving high Q values ​​with low profile antennas, making broadband deployment difficult. Therefore, the design and development of broadband low-profile millimeter-wave antennas is urgently needed.

[0092] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna 200. Figure 2 As shown, the antenna 200 consists of four quarter-mode substrate integrated waveguide (QMSIW) resonators and a microstrip line 240. The antenna 200 has two resonant points each in the 28 GHz and 38 GHz frequency bands, achieving wide impedance matching within both bands. Specifically, QMSIW resonators 210 and 220 cover the frequency band of 27.5 GHz to 29.5 GHz, while QMSIW resonators 230 and 240 cover the frequency band of 37 GHz to 38.6 GHz. The microstrip line 250 is fed to the QMSIW resonator 210 via a slot, and the other three resonators are excited by close-range coupling from the QMSIW resonator 210. The operating frequency bands of this dual-band antenna 200 are 26.71 GHz to 30.36 GHz and 36.59 GHz to 38.78 GHz, with relative bandwidths of 12.8% and 5.8%, respectively. The cross-section of the antenna 200 is 0.696 mm (0.066λ). 01 , λ 01 The wavelength in vacuum corresponding to the center frequency of 26.71 GHz to 30.36 GHz is given. The length and width of antenna 200 are approximately 6.31 mm (0.6λ). 01 The dimensions of the 1×4 antenna array consisting of antennas 200 are 27.5mm × 28.5mm (2.62λ). 01 ×2.71λ01 ).

[0093] The aforementioned antenna 200 has a narrow bandwidth in the high-frequency band, possibly because the coupling slot is located below the 28GHz resonant cavity, while the 38GHz resonant cavity uses adjacent coupling feeding, resulting in a significant difference in bandwidth between the two bands. Furthermore, it is difficult to improve the antenna 200 to dual polarization because the existing four QMSIW resonant cavities are difficult to couple in orthogonal polarization directions, thus disrupting the antenna 200's operating mode.

[0094] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of another type of antenna 300. (See diagram for example.) Figure 3 As shown, through characteristic mode analysis, the antenna 300 is designed with a 3×3 metasurface layer 330 capable of dual-frequency operation. The antenna 300 is dual-polarized fed by two orthogonal SIW resonant cavities 310 and 320 beneath the metasurface 330 via slot coupling. The two-layer SIW feeding structure in the antenna 300 results in a relatively large cross-section, reaching 2.36 mm (0.202λ). 02 , λ 02 The wavelength in vacuum corresponding to the center frequency of 24.2 GHz to 27.8 GHz), wherein the thickness of the metasurface layer 330 is 0.787 mm (0.067λ). 02 The antenna 300 has bandwidths of 13.85% (24.2GHz–27.8GHz) and 14.81% (36.9GHz–42.8GHz) in the two frequency bands, respectively. The 2×2 antenna array, composed of antennas 300, has a feed network consisting of a pair of orthogonal 1-to-8 power dividers and four three-port E-plane phase shifters.

[0095] The cross-section and dimensions of the aforementioned antenna 300 are significantly increased due to the SIW structure, which is detrimental to electronic device integration. Furthermore, the antenna 300 exhibits inconsistent radiation patterns in the low-frequency and high-frequency bands, with noticeable grating lobes appearing in the element pattern of the high-frequency band.

[0096] Due to the large size of metasurface 330, the element spacing of the 2×2 antenna array composed of antennas 300 is large, reaching 0.96λ. L (λ L (Wavelength corresponding to the starting frequency), resulting in obvious grating lobes in the radiation pattern of the 2×2 antenna array composed of antennas 300.

[0097] Figure 4 and Figure 5 These are schematic structural diagrams of another type of antenna 400. Among them, Figure 4 This is a two-dimensional diagram of antenna 400 in the x1o1y1 plane. Figure 5This is a cross-sectional view of antenna 400 in the y1o1z1 plane. The dimension of antenna 400 in the x1 direction can be the width of antenna 400, the dimension of antenna 400 in the y1 direction can be the length of antenna 400, and the dimension of antenna 400 in the z1 direction can be the height of antenna 400.

[0098] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the antenna 400 uses a pair of 4×2 square patches as metasurfaces 410 to achieve a low-profile broadband antenna. The antenna 400 is fed by a microstrip line 430 and slot-coupled to the metasurface 410 and the rectangular patches 420. Surface waves propagate along the metasurface 410, generating TM mode resonances, thus broadening the bandwidth. The antenna 400 has two resonant points within the band: the TM10 mode of the rectangular patch 420 at 26.2 GHz and the TM mode of the metasurface 410 at 30.5 GHz. The antenna 400 has an operating bandwidth of 27.1% (23.9 GHz to 31.4 GHz) and a length and width of 12.84 mm (1.18λ). 03 , λ 03 The wavelength in vacuum corresponding to the center frequency of the low-frequency band of antenna 40 is 0.43 mm (0.04λ). 03 The 1×4 array of 400 antennas measures 16.2mm × 27mm (1.49λ). 03 ×2.49λ 03 The element spacing is 6mm (0.55λ). 03 ).

[0099] The antenna 400 has the following drawbacks:

[0100] (1) The lateral dimension of this antenna 400 is relatively large. If it is changed to dual polarization, the length of the non-radiating side of the patch will increase, and the antenna size will increase further.

[0101] (2) The antenna 400 is difficult to achieve dual-band or to extend the frequency to 43.5GHz.

[0102] (3) The antenna 400 is microstrip line fed, so the back of the antenna is not completely grounded, which is not suitable for integration into electronic devices.

[0103] With the development of 5G mobile communication, electronic devices are becoming increasingly multifunctional. Employing multifunctional antennas can effectively reduce the space occupied by antennas. Furthermore, as various electronic devices require lighter and thinner designs, the space allocated for antennas is becoming increasingly limited, necessitating miniaturization and low profile antennas.

[0104] Therefore, this application provides an antenna with a low profile, as low as 0.045λ0 (where λ0 is the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency or resonant frequency of the first frequency band of the antenna), which can achieve dual-band dual polarization and cover multiple millimeter-wave frequency bands. For example, this antenna can cover, but is not limited to, millimeter waves in the n257, n258, n259, and n260 frequency bands.

[0105] The structure of the antenna provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0106] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of an example antenna 400 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0107] like Figure 6 As shown, along the z-direction, the antenna 400 sequentially includes a metasurface structure 410, a first dielectric substrate 420, a patch layer 430, a second dielectric substrate 440, a bipolar short-circuit feed structure 450, a third dielectric substrate 460, and a ground layer 470.

[0108] For example, the lateral dimension of the metasurface structure 410 can be 4.84 mm × 4.84 mm. The metasurface structure 410 includes a first square patch 411 of size K1 × K2. K1 is a positive integer greater than 1, and K2 is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0109] For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, the metasurface structure 410 includes 4×4 first square patches 411. That is, the metasurface structure 410 includes 16 first square patches 411, and the 16 first square patches 411 are arranged in 4 rows and 4 columns, with each row and each column including 4 first square patches 411.

[0110] For example, the lateral dimension of the first square patch 411 can be 1.18mm × 1.18mm.

[0111] The embodiments of this application do not limit the positional relationship between the projection area of ​​the first square patch 411 on the first dielectric substrate 420 and the first dielectric substrate 420.

[0112] For example, the edge of the first square patch 411 is parallel to the edge of the first dielectric substrate 420. For instance, as shown... Figure 6 As shown, the first side 4111 of the first square patch 411 is parallel to the first side 421 of the first dielectric substrate 420, and the second side 41112 of the first square patch 411 is parallel to the second side 422 of the first dielectric substrate 420.

[0113] In some embodiments, a metasurface structure 410 may be formed on the first dielectric substrate 420 by etching.

[0114] For example, the first dielectric substrate 420, the second dielectric substrate 440, and / or the third dielectric substrate 460 are Rogers dielectric substrates 3003. Their dielectric constant εr = 3 and loss tangent tanδ = 0.0013.

[0115] For example, the thicknesses (dimensions in the z-axis direction) of the first dielectric substrate 420, the second dielectric substrate 440, and the third dielectric substrate 460 can be 0.1 mm, 0.07 mm, and 0.33 mm, respectively.

[0116] For example, the lateral dimensions of the first dielectric substrate 420, the second dielectric substrate 440 and / or the third dielectric substrate 460 can be 7mm × 7mm respectively.

[0117] The specific structure of the patch layer 430 is not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0118] Exemplarily, the patch layer 430 may include a patch. The patch may be, but is not limited to, a circular patch or a square patch. That is, the projection of the patch layer 430 onto the first dielectric substrate 420 may be circular or square. For example, as... Figure 6 As shown, the projection of the patch layer 430 onto the first dielectric substrate 420 is circular.

[0119] For example, patch layer 430 may include metal patch 431.

[0120] For example, if the metal patch 431 is a circular metal patch, the diameter of the metal patch 431 can be 1.94 mm.

[0121] In some embodiments, a raised structure 432 may be provided at the edge of the patch on the patch layer 430. The raised structure 432 is made of a metallic material. This can improve the impedance bandwidth of the antenna, for example, increase the impedance bandwidth of the antenna.

[0122] For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, two protruding structures 432 are provided at the edge of the patch layer 430.

[0123] For example, the lateral dimension of the protrusion structure 432 can be 1.15mm × 0.16mm.

[0124] For example, when there are two protrusions 432, in order to improve the isolation between the feed terminal of the first short-circuit metal structure 451 and the feed terminal of the second short-circuit metal structure 452, the length direction of one protrusion 432 can be parallel to the first short-circuit feed structure 451, and the length direction of the other protrusion 432 can be parallel to the second short-circuit feed structure 452.

[0125] The bipolar short-circuit feed structure 450 can generate waves in two polarization directions.

[0126] For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, the bipolar short-circuit feed structure 450 includes a first short-circuit feed structure 451 and a second short-circuit feed structure 452. The polarization directions of the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure 451 and the second short-circuit feed structure 452 are inconsistent.

[0127] In this embodiment, the polarization direction of the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure 451 can be understood as the polarization direction of the wave that can be excited by the first short-circuit feed structure 451 when the first feed point of the first short-circuit feed structure 451 is fed.

[0128] In this embodiment, the polarization direction of the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feed structure 452 can be understood as the polarization direction of the wave that can be excited by the second short-circuit feed structure 452 when the second feed point of the second short-circuit feed structure 452 is fed.

[0129] For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, the first short-circuit feed structure 451 includes a first branch 4511, a second branch 4512, a third branch 4513, and a first microstrip feed line 4514. The third branch 4513 includes a first connection point O1. The first branch 4511 and the second branch 4512 are connected to the third branch 4513 at the first connection point O1, and the third branch 4513 is located between the first branch 4511 and the second branch 4512. One end of the first microstrip feed line 4514 is connected to the third branch 4513, and the other end of the first microstrip feed line 4514 is provided with a first feed point, that is, the other end of the first microstrip feed line 4514 is the feed end of the first short-circuit feed structure 451.

[0130] For example, the lateral dimension of the first branch 4511 can be 0.85mm × 0.18mm.

[0131] For example, the lateral dimension of the second branch 4512 can be 1mm × 0.18mm.

[0132] For example, the lateral dimension of the third branch 4513 can be 1.94mm × 0.3mm.

[0133] For example, such as Figure 6As shown, the second short-circuit feed structure 452 includes a fourth branch 4521, a fifth branch 4522, a sixth branch 4523, and a second microstrip feed line 4524. The sixth branch 4523 includes a first connection point O2. The fourth branch 4521 and the fifth branch 4522 are connected to the sixth branch 4523 at the first connection point O2, and the sixth branch 4523 is located between the fourth branch 4521 and the fifth branch 4522. One end of the second microstrip feed line 4524 is connected to the sixth branch 4523, and the other end of the second microstrip feed line 4524 is provided with a second feed point; that is, the other end of the second microstrip feed line 4524 is the feed end of the second short-circuit feed structure 452.

[0134] For example, the lateral dimension of the fourth branch 4521 can be 0.85mm × 0.18mm.

[0135] For example, the lateral dimension of the fifth branch 4522 can be 1mm × 0.18mm.

[0136] For example, the lateral dimension of the sixth branch 4523 can be 1.94mm × 0.3mm.

[0137] For example, the polarization direction of the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure 451 and the polarization direction of the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feed structure 452 differ by 90°, that is, the first short-circuit feed structure 451 and the second short-circuit feed structure 452 are two orthogonal short-circuit feed structures.

[0138] For example, the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure 451 is polarized in the vertical direction, while the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feed structure 452 is polarized in the horizontal direction. As another example, the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure 451 is polarized in the +45° direction, while the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feed structure 452 is polarized in the -45° direction.

[0139] For example, the first branch 4511 and the second branch 4512 have different lengths. That is, the first short-circuit feed structure 451 can be understood as an asymmetrical structure.

[0140] For example, the difference between the length of the first branch 4511 and λ / 4 is less than or equal to the first threshold, and the difference between the length of the second branch 4512 and λ / 4 is less than or equal to the second threshold. Here, λ is the wavelength in vacuum corresponding to the center frequency or resonant frequency of the first frequency band.

[0141] The first threshold and the second threshold can be preset values.

[0142] For example, the first threshold and the second threshold can both be two different values ​​that are approximately 0. In this case, the length of the first branch 4511 is approximately equal to λ / 4, and the length of the second branch 4512 is also approximately equal to λ / 4. The first branch 4511 and the second branch 4512 can be referred to as λ / 4 short-circuit branches.

[0143] When the lengths of the first stub 4511 and the second stub 4512 in the first short-circuit feed structure 451 are approximately equal to λ / 4, and the center of the first short-circuit feed structure 451 is grounded, the first short-circuit feed structure 451 can approximately constitute a λ / 4 resonator. The center of the first short-circuit feed structure 451 can be understood as the first connection point O1 of the first stub 4511, the second stub 4512, and the third stub 4513. Furthermore, since the resonant points of the first frequency band are formed by the TM10 mode resonances of the bipolar short-circuit feed structure 450 and the metasurface structure, respectively, the structure of the first short-circuit feed structure 451, which approximately constitutes a λ / 4 resonator, can extend the bandwidth of the antenna's first frequency band.

[0144] For example, in one instance, the first branch 4511 and the second branch 4512 can be an integral structure. The first branch 4511 and the second branch 4512 are formed by bending this integral structure.

[0145] For example, the angle between the first branch 4511 and the third branch 4513 is θ1, where θ1 ∈ (0°, 90°).

[0146] For example, the angle between the second branch 4512 and the third branch 4513 is θ2, θ2∈(0°, 90°).

[0147] For example, in one instance, the second branch 4512 and the third branch 4513 can be an integral structure. The second branch 4512 and the third branch 4513 are formed by bending this integral structure.

[0148] For example, the fourth branch 4521 and the fifth branch 4522 have different lengths. That is, the second short-circuit feed structure 452 can be understood as an asymmetrical structure.

[0149] For example, the difference between the fourth branch 4521 and λ / 4 is less than or equal to the third threshold, and the difference between the length of the fifth branch 4522 and λ / 4 is less than or equal to the fourth threshold.

[0150] The third and fourth thresholds can be preset values.

[0151] For example, the third threshold and the fourth threshold can both be two different values ​​that are approximately 0. In this case, the length of the fourth branch 4521 is approximately equal to λ / 4, and the length of the fifth branch 4522 is also approximately equal to λ / 4. The fourth branch 4521 and the fifth branch 4522 can be referred to as λ / 4 short-circuit branches.

[0152] When the lengths of the fourth stub 4521 and the second stub 4512 in the second short-circuit feed structure 452 are approximately equal to λ / 4, and the center of the second short-circuit feed structure 452 is grounded, the second short-circuit feed structure 452 can approximately constitute a λ / 4 resonator. The center of the second short-circuit feed structure 452 can be understood as the second connection point O2 of the fourth stub 4521, the fifth stub 4522, and the sixth stub 4523. Furthermore, since the resonant points of the first frequency band are formed by the TM10 mode resonances of the bipolar short-circuit feed structure 450 and the metasurface structure, respectively, the structure of the second short-circuit feed structure 452, which approximately constitutes a λ / 4 resonator, can extend the bandwidth of the antenna's first frequency band.

[0153] For example, the length of the fourth branch 4521 can be equal to the length of the first branch 4511. In this case, the third threshold and the first threshold are equal.

[0154] For example, the length of the fifth branch 4522 can be equal to the length of the second branch 4512. In this case, the fourth threshold and the second threshold are equal.

[0155] For example, the angle between the fourth branch 4521 and the sixth branch 4523 is θ3, where θ3 ∈ (0°, 90°).

[0156] For example, the angle between the fifth branch 4522 and the sixth branch 4523 is θ4, where θ4 ∈ (0°, 90°).

[0157] For example, the angle between the third branch 4513 and the sixth branch 4523 is determined by the difference in polarization direction of the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure 451 and the second short-circuit feed structure 452.

[0158] When the bipolar short-circuit feed structure 450 is energized, the first short-circuit feed structure 451 is coupled to the patch layer 430, and the patch layer 430 is coupled to the metasurface structure 410, thereby realizing a wave with the polarization direction of the excitation and the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure 451, that is, realizing one polarization operation of the antenna; the second short-circuit feed structure 452 is coupled to the patch layer 430, and the patch layer 430 is coupled to the metasurface structure 410, thereby realizing a wave with the polarization direction of the excitation and the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feed structure 452, that is, realizing the other polarization operation of the antenna.

[0159] For example, the lateral dimension of the grounding layer 470 can be 7mm × 7mm.

[0160] The grounding layer 470 is the grounded layer. A first short-circuit metal structure 471 and a second short-circuit metal structure 472 are provided on the grounding layer 470.

[0161] The first short-circuit metal structure 471 is connected to the first short-circuit power supply structure 451. Specifically, the first short-circuit metal structure 471 is connected to the first connection point O1 of the first branch 4511, the second branch 4512 and the third branch 4513 in the first short-circuit power supply structure 451.

[0162] The second short-circuit metal structure 472 is connected to the second short-circuit power supply structure 452. Specifically, the second short-circuit metal structure 472 is connected to the second connection point O2 of the fourth branch 4521, the fifth branch 4522 and the sixth branch 4523 in the second short-circuit power supply structure 452.

[0163] In some embodiments, at least one metal pillar 473 is provided between the first short-circuit metal structure 471 and the second short-circuit metal structure 472 of the ground layer 470. That is, at least one pillar structure is provided between the first short-circuit metal structure 471 and the second short-circuit metal structure 472 of the ground layer 470, and at least one metal pillar 473 is formed by coating the exterior of the at least one pillar structure with metal. This improves the isolation between the feed terminals of the first short-circuit metal structure 471 and the second short-circuit metal structure 472.

[0164] For example, the height of the at least one metal column can be 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm. For instance, the height of the at least one metal column is 0.05 mm.

[0165] The number of metal pillars 473 is not limited in this embodiment. For example, as Figure 6 As shown, four metal pillars 473 are provided between the first short-circuit metal structure 471 and the second short-circuit metal structure 472 in the grounding layer 470.

[0166] In some embodiments, a bipolar feed probe structure may also be provided on the ground layer 470. The bipolar feed probe structure is electrically connected to the bipolar short-circuit feed structure 450, which can realize the feeding of the bipolar short-circuit feed structure 450.

[0167] For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, the bipolar feed probe structure includes a first feed probe structure 475 and a second feed probe structure 476. The first feed probe structure 475 is electrically connected to a first short-circuit feed structure 451, enabling power supply to the first short-circuit feed structure 451. The second feed probe structure 476 is electrically connected to a second short-circuit feed structure 452, enabling power supply to the second short-circuit feed structure 452.

[0168] When the first feed probe structure 475 feeds the first short-circuit feed structure 451, the first short-circuit feed structure 451 is coupled to the patch layer 430, and the patch layer 430 is coupled to the metasurface structure 410, thus generating a wave with the polarization direction of the excitation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure 451, achieving one polarization operation of the antenna. When the second feed probe structure 476 feeds the second short-circuit feed structure 452, the second short-circuit feed structure 452 is coupled to the patch layer 430, and the patch layer 430 is coupled to the metasurface structure 410, thus generating a wave with the polarization direction of the excitation generated by the second short-circuit feed structure 452, achieving the other polarization operation of the antenna.

[0169] In some embodiments, one or more through-holes are provided around the metasurface structure 410, penetrating the first dielectric substrate 420, the second dielectric substrate 440, and the third dielectric substrate 460. This allows impedance matching within the tuning band of the antenna 400, i.e., the impedance of the antenna 400 is set to a preset value (e.g., 50Ω).

[0170] The periphery of the metasurface structure 410 can be understood as the periphery of the projected pattern of the metasurface structure 410 on the first dielectric substrate 420. In this way, the projection of the via on the first dielectric substrate 420 and the projection of the metasurface structure 410 on the first dielectric substrate 420 are offset.

[0171] By way of example, the present application does not limit the formation process of the through holes. For example, the through holes involved in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by an etching process.

[0172] Furthermore, one or more metal pillars 474 can be provided in the ground plane 470. These one or more metal pillars 474 can enable impedance matching of the antenna 400 and extend its bandwidth.

[0173] The height (or thickness) of the antenna 400 described above is the sum of the thicknesses of the first dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate, and the third dielectric substrate, and the height of at least one metal pillar, which is 0.55 mm. Therefore, the cross-section of the antenna 400 is 0.55 mm. Figures 2 to 5 Compared to the antennas described above, antenna 400 has a lower profile.

[0174] Since the lateral dimensions of the first dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate, and / or the third dielectric substrate are 7mm × 7mm, the lateral dimensions of the antenna are also 7mm × 7mm.

[0175] For example, the resonant point of the first frequency band of the antenna 400 is formed by the TM10 mode resonance of the bipolar short-circuit feed structure 450 and the metasurface structure 410; and / or the resonant point of the second frequency band of the antenna 400 is formed by the TM10 mode resonance of the cladding layer 430 and the reverse TM20 mode resonance of the metasurface structure 410. The second frequency band is higher than the first frequency band. Thus, the antenna 400 can cover multiple millimeter-wave frequency bands.

[0176] In one example, the first frequency band can cover 24.25 GHz to 29.5 GHz. The second frequency band can cover 37 GHz to 43.5 GHz.

[0177] In such Figure 6 When the antenna 400 is energized, and the polarization directions of the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure 451 and the second short-circuit feed structure 452 are horizontal and vertical respectively, the antenna 400 operates in the TM10 / TM01 mode and the reverse TM20 / TM02 mode of the metasurface structure in the first and second frequency bands, respectively. The antenna 400 has two resonant points in each of the first and second frequency bands. For example, the resonant points in the first frequency band are formed by the TM10 mode resonance of the bipolar short-circuit feed structure 450 and the metasurface structure; the resonant points in the second frequency band are formed by the TM10 mode resonance of the patch layer 430 and the reverse TM20 mode resonance of the metasurface structure.

[0178] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the scattering (S) parameters of an antenna 400 provided in an embodiment of this application. S11 is the reflection coefficient of the feed end of the first short-circuit feed structure 451 when the feed end of the second short-circuit feed structure 452 is connected to a matched load; that is, the reflection coefficient of the feed end of the first short-circuit feed structure 451. S21 is the forward transmission coefficient from the feed end of the first short-circuit feed structure 451 to the feed end of the second short-circuit feed structure 452 when the feed end of the second short-circuit feed structure 452 is connected to a matched load; that is, the isolation between the feed ends of the first short-circuit feed structure 451 and the feed ends of the second short-circuit feed structure 452. Figure 7 As shown, the antenna 400 exhibits impedance matching in the 24.25GHz–29.5GHz and 37GHz–43.5GHz frequency bands, with a reflection coefficient essentially less than -10dB. The isolation between the feed terminals of the first short-circuit feed structure 451 and the second short-circuit feed structure 452 is greater than 14.5dB in both frequency bands.

[0179] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the gain of an example antenna 400 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8As shown, the actual gains of the antenna 400 in the first frequency band (e.g., 24.25 GHz to 29.5 GHz) and the second frequency band (e.g., 37 GHz to 43.5 GHz) are 5.4 dBi to 6.6 dBi and 5.9 dBi to 8.3 dBi, respectively.

[0180] Figure 9 This is a schematic structural diagram of an example antenna 500 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 The antenna 500 shown is Figure 6 The difference between antenna 400 and antenna 500 is: 1. The metasurface structure 510 of antenna 500 is... Figure 6 The structure of the metasurface structure 410 after cutting off the diagonal is shown; 2. Since the structure of the metasurface structure 510 of the antenna 500 is different from the structure of the metasurface structure 410, one or more through holes are provided around the metasurface structure 510 to penetrate the first dielectric substrate 420, the second dielectric substrate 440 and the third dielectric substrate 460. The shape formed on the first dielectric substrate 420, the second dielectric substrate 440 or the third dielectric substrate 460 is different from the shape formed on the first dielectric substrate 420, the second dielectric substrate 440 or the third dielectric substrate 460 when one or more through holes are provided around the metasurface structure 410 to penetrate the first dielectric substrate 420, the second dielectric substrate 440 and the third dielectric substrate 460.

[0181] For other details regarding antenna 500 not described above, please refer to the relevant descriptions in antenna 400 above; they will not be repeated here.

[0182] like Figure 9 The metasurface structure shown is more Figure 6 The metasurface structure shown is small in size. For example, in one example, the width of the metasurface structure can be compressed from 7 mm to 6 mm. This achieves the requirement of antenna miniaturization. Furthermore, when this antenna 500 is installed in an electronic device, it occupies less space, thus meeting user needs.

[0183] also, Figure 9 The antenna 500 shown and Figure 6 The performance of the antenna 400 shown is similar, that is Figure 9 The antenna shown is 500 times the Figure 6 The antenna shown is small in size, but this does not affect its performance.

[0184] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the S-parameters of an example antenna 500 provided in an embodiment of this application. S11 is the reflection coefficient of the feed end of the first short-circuit feed structure 451. S21 is the reflection coefficient of the feed end of the second short-circuit feed structure 452. Figure 10 The curves of the S-parameters of antenna 500 shown are as follows: Figure 7 The curves of the S-parameters of the antenna 400 shown are similar.

[0185] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the gain of an example antenna 500 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 11 The gain curve of antenna 500 shown and as follows Figure 8 The gain curve of the antenna 400 shown is similar.

[0186] It should be understood that the antennas 400 and 500 described above are applicable not only to the first frequency band (e.g., 24.25 GHz to 29.5 GHz) and the second frequency band (e.g., 37 GHz to 43.5 GHz), but also to other frequency bands. This application does not limit this application.

[0187] It should be understood that the antennas 400 and 500 described above are not only applicable to the millimeter-wave band, but also to other types of frequency bands. This application does not limit this application.

[0188] This application also provides an antenna array. This antenna array is small in size and has strong scanning capability.

[0189] The embodiments of this application do not limit the number of antennas in the antenna array. For example, the antenna array is a 1×M antenna array, where M≥2. Another example is a 2N×2N antenna array, where N≥1.

[0190] In one example, the antenna array may include antennas 400 and / or antenna 500 as described above. A description of antennas 400 and / or antenna 500 can be found in the relevant description above, and will not be repeated here.

[0191] In another example, such as Figure 12 As shown, this antenna array includes multiple antennas. The difference between this antenna and antenna 400 is that, except for the first dielectric substrate 420, the second dielectric substrate 440, and the third dielectric substrate 460, the other structures of this antenna are obtained by rotating the other structures of antenna 400 by 45°. Further descriptions of this antenna can be found in the description of antenna 400 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0192] Furthermore, such as Figure 12 As shown, to reduce the spacing between antenna elements and the size of the antenna array, the metasurface structures of adjacent antennas can be overlapped. This achieves the requirement for miniaturization of the antenna array. Furthermore, when this antenna array is installed in an electronic device, it occupies less space, thus meeting user needs.

[0193] Furthermore, by overlapping the metasurface structures of adjacent antennas, the scanning performance of the antenna array is improved. In other words, reducing the antenna array size does not affect its performance.

[0194] For example, such as Figure 12 As shown, the overlapping area of ​​the metasurface structures of adjacent antennas is the area occupied by a square patch in the metasurface structure.

[0195] It should be understood that if the metasurface structure 410 is formed by etching on the first dielectric substrate 420, the overlapping of the metasurface structures of adjacent antennas can be achieved by etching once in the overlapping area of ​​the metasurface structures of adjacent antennas.

[0196] In yet another example, such as Figure 13 As shown, this antenna array includes multiple antennas. The difference between this antenna and antenna 500 is that, except for the first dielectric substrate 420, the second dielectric substrate 440, and the third dielectric substrate 460, the other structures of this antenna are obtained by rotating the other structures of antenna 500 by 45°. Further descriptions of this antenna can be found in the description of antenna 500 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0197] Furthermore, such as Figure 13 As shown, to reduce the spacing between antenna elements and the size of the antenna array, the metasurface structures of adjacent antennas can be overlapped. This achieves the requirement for antenna miniaturization. Furthermore, when this antenna array is installed in an electronic device, it occupies less space, thus meeting user needs.

[0198] Furthermore, by overlapping the metasurface structures of adjacent antennas, the scanning performance of the antenna array is improved. In other words, reducing the antenna array size does not affect its performance.

[0199] For example, such as Figure 13 As shown, the overlapping area of ​​the metasurface structures of adjacent antennas is the area occupied by a square patch in the metasurface structure.

[0200] and Figure 12 Compared to the aforementioned antenna array, this Figure 13 The size of the antenna array shown has been reduced by 14%.

[0201] For example, such as Figure 12 and Figure 13 The antenna arrays shown are all dual-polarized 1×4 antenna arrays. Ports 1, 3, 5, and 7 are ports in one polarization direction, and ports 2, 4, 6, and 8 are ports in the other polarization direction. For example, ports 1, 3, 5, and 7 are ports in a 45° polarization direction, and ports 2, 4, 6, and 8 are ports in a -45° polarization direction.

[0202] Figure 14 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 13 The diagram shows the S-parameters of the antenna array. Where S11 is the reflection coefficient of port 1, S22 is the reflection coefficient of port 2, S33 is the reflection coefficient of port 3, S44 is the reflection coefficient of port 4, S55 is the reflection coefficient of port 5, S66 is the reflection coefficient of port 6, S77 is the reflection coefficient of port 7, and S88 is the reflection coefficient of port 8.

[0203] like Figure 14 As shown, the echo characteristics of this antenna array are basically similar to those of a single antenna. The reflection coefficients of this antenna array are relatively consistent across its six ports. The reflection coefficients of ports 7 and 8 are slightly greater than -10 dB in the 24.25 GHz–24.65 GHz and 29 GHz–29.5 GHz ranges, respectively.

[0204] Figure 15 An example provided for an embodiment of this application Figure 13 The antenna array shown has a radiation pattern at the center frequency or resonant frequency of the first frequency band (e.g., 26 GHz). Figure 15 Yes Figure 13 The antenna array shown is fed through ports 1, 3, 5, and 7 to obtain the radiation pattern.

[0205] like Figure 15 As shown, at 26 GHz, the antenna's main polarization gain is 10.9 dBi (e.g., Figure 15 The gain corresponding to point A shown in the figure), the cross-polarization is -9.9 dBi (as shown in the figure). Figure 15 The gain corresponding to point B shown in the figure is 16.1 dBi (the gain corresponding to point A minus the gain corresponding to point A').

[0206] Figure 16 The radiation pattern of an example antenna array provided in this application is at the center frequency or resonant frequency (40 GHz) of the second frequency band.

[0207] like Figure 16 As shown, at 40 GHz, the antenna radiation direction is slightly offset, with the maximum radiation direction at -5° (e.g., Figure 16 The angle corresponding to point C shown in the diagram), the main polarization gain of the antenna is 12.3 dBi (as shown in the diagram). Figure 16 The gain corresponding to point C shown in the figure), the cross-polarization is -1.7 dBi (as shown in the figure). Figure 16 The gain corresponding to point D shown in the figure is 20.9 dBi (the gain corresponding to point C minus the gain corresponding to point C').

[0208] Depend on Figure 15 and Figure 16 It can be seen that the dual-frequency low-profile dual-polarized antenna array has good radiation characteristics in both the first and second frequency bands.

[0209] This application also provides an electronic device that includes the antenna described above, or the electronic device includes the antenna array described above.

[0210] For example, the electronic device may be an electronic device as shown in 1.

[0211] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0212] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0213] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0214] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0215] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0216] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0217] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An antenna, characterized in that, include: The system comprises a conductive metasurface structure, a conductive patch layer, a ground layer, and a bipolar short-circuit feed structure, wherein the patch layer is disposed between the metasurface structure and the bipolar short-circuit feed structure. The bipolar short-circuit feed structure includes a first short-circuit feed structure and a second short-circuit feed structure. The first short-circuit feed structure includes a first stub, a second stub, a third stub, and a first feed line. The third stub includes a first connection point. The first stub and the second stub are connected to the third stub at the first connection point, and the third stub is located between the first stub and the second stub. One end of the first feed line is connected to the third stub, and the other end of the first feed line is provided with a first feed point for feeding the antenna. The third stub is grounded at the first connection point. The second short-circuit feed structure includes a fourth stub, a fifth stub, a sixth stub, and a second feed line. The sixth stub includes a second connection point. The fourth and fifth stubs are connected to the sixth stub at the second connection point, and the sixth stub is located between the fourth and fifth stubs. One end of the second feed line is connected to the sixth stub, and the other end of the second feed line is provided with a second feed point for feeding the antenna. The sixth stub is grounded at the second connection point. The bipolar short-circuit feed structure and the patch layer are coupled together, and the patch layer and the metasurface structure are coupled together. The grounding layer is provided with a first short-circuit metal structure, a second short-circuit metal structure and at least one metal pillar. The first connection point is connected to the first short-circuit metal structure, the second connection point is connected to the second short-circuit metal structure, and the at least one metal pillar is disposed between the first short-circuit metal structure and the second short-circuit metal structure.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lengths of the first branch and the second branch are not the same; and / or, The length of the fourth branch is not the same as the length of the fifth branch; and / or, The length of the first branch is the same as the length of the fourth branch; and / or, The second branch has the same length as the fifth branch.

3. The antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The difference between the length of the first branch and λ / 4 is less than or equal to a first threshold, and the difference between the length of the second branch and λ / 4 is less than or equal to a second threshold; and / or, The difference between the length of the fourth branch and λ / 4 is less than or equal to the third threshold, and the difference between the length of the fifth branch and λ / 4 is less than or equal to the fourth threshold. Wherein, λ is the wavelength in vacuum corresponding to the center frequency of the first frequency band of the antenna.

4. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The patch layer includes a patch, and the edge of the patch is provided with a raised structure.

5. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The polarization direction of the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure is orthogonal to the polarization direction of the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feed structure.

6. The antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that, The polarization direction of the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feeding structure is vertical, and the polarization direction of the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feeding structure is horizontal; or, The polarization direction of the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feeding structure is +45°, and the polarization direction of the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feeding structure is -45°.

7. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The metasurface structure includes a 4×4 first square patch or the metasurface structure includes a 4×4 first square patch with diagonal cut-off, the first square patch having a lateral dimension of 1.18mm×1.18mm.

8. The antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grounding layer is provided with a first feed probe structure and a second feed probe structure. The first feed probe structure is connected to the first feed point, and the second feed probe structure is connected to the second feed point.

9. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The antenna further includes a first dielectric substrate, a second dielectric substrate, and a third dielectric substrate; The metasurface structure is disposed on the first dielectric substrate; The patch layer is disposed on the second dielectric substrate; The bipolar short-circuit power supply structure is provided on the third dielectric substrate.

10. The antenna according to claim 9, characterized in that, The antenna includes: At least one through-hole, the at least one through-hole penetrating the first dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate and the third dielectric substrate, the at least one through-hole on the first dielectric substrate surrounding the metasurface structure.

11. The antenna according to claim 9, characterized in that, The thicknesses of the first dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate, and the third dielectric substrate are 0.1 mm, 0.07 mm, and 0.33 mm, respectively.

12. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The cross-section of the antenna is less than or equal to 0.045λ, where λ is the wavelength in vacuum corresponding to the center frequency of the first frequency band of the antenna.

13. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The resonant point of the first frequency band of the antenna is formed by the TM10 mode resonance of the bipolar short-circuit feed structure and the metasurface structure; and / or, the resonant point of the second frequency band of the antenna is formed by the TM10 mode resonance of the patch layer and the reverse TM20 mode resonance of the metasurface structure, wherein the second frequency band is higher than the first frequency band.

14. An antenna array, characterized in that, It includes at least two antennas as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The antenna array according to claim 14, characterized in that, When the polarization direction of the radiation generated by the first short-circuit feed structure is +45° and the polarization direction of the radiation generated by the second short-circuit feed structure is -45°, the angle between the diagonal of the metasurface structure of each antenna and the third or sixth stub is 45°.

16. The antenna array according to claim 15, characterized in that, The metasurface structures of adjacent antennas have overlapping regions.

17. The antenna array according to claim 16, characterized in that, The metasurface structure includes a 4×4 first square patch or the metasurface structure includes a 4×4 first square patch with diagonal cuts, and the overlapping area is the area corresponding to the first square patch.

18. The antenna array according to claim 17, characterized in that, In the case where the metasurface structure includes a first square patch with a 4×4 cut off diagonally, the first square patch in the overlapping area is not the first square patch with the diagonally cut off diagonally.

19. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes the antenna as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, or the antenna array as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 18.

Images