Antenna elements and array antennas

Abstract

The application provides an antenna array element and an array antenna. The antenna array element adopts a scheme of cooperation of a phase shifter and a dielectric block capable of changing dielectric constant to accurately adjust the excitation phase of each antenna array element. The scheme can be applied to any low side lobe array antenna, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio and reducing the influence of the main beam outside the clutter signal, effectively improving the anti-interference capability of the array antenna adopting the antenna array element, and being beneficial to the realization of the space division multiplexing technology of the array antenna. In addition, the antenna array element provided by the application can accurately adjust the excitation phase and save the cost, and the insertion loss is low due to the use of the low-precision phase shifter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of antennas, and more specifically to an antenna element and an array antenna including multiple such antenna elements. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, low-sidelobe array antennas have been widely used in high-performance communication systems due to their ability to improve anti-interference performance and enable spatial division multiplexing technology. Those skilled in the art have conducted in-depth research on the related technologies of low-sidelobe array antennas. Based on the research findings, to meet the requirements of low-sidelobe array antennas, it is necessary to use optimization algorithms to iteratively determine the amplitude and phase distribution of the antenna elements that meets engineering needs, and then design a corresponding feeding system to excite each antenna element.

[0003] In one implementation of existing power distribution systems, a passive power divider is used to excite the array antenna. By designing the specific dimensions and parameters of the power divider, the total port energy (amplitude and phase) can be distributed to the ports of each antenna element in a certain proportion. However, for low-sidelobe array antennas, the amplitude and phase of the excitation for each antenna element are often different, requiring the design of multiple power dividers with unequal amplitude and different phases to effectively excite the ports of each element. The design of a multi-port passive power divider with unequal amplitude and different phases is usually quite difficult and costly. Moreover, since the power distribution ratio of the power divider is related to the load matching state, after the passive power divider is connected to the antenna array, the amplitude and phase of the actual input energy to each antenna element deviate from the design value, leading to performance degradation of the low-sidelobe array antenna based on the passive power divider.

[0004] In another implementation of the existing feeding system, the amplitude and phase of the receiving / transmitting components of each antenna element in the array antenna are controlled by digital circuits. The amplitude and phase of each receiving / transmitting component can be directly controlled via digital circuits, thus completing the feeding of each antenna element in the array antenna. Currently, high-precision phase shifters in high-precision receiving / transmitting components can achieve precise phase control; for example, a 6-phase shifter can achieve a 5.625° phase step, and an 8-phase shifter can achieve a 1.4° phase step. However, the phase adjustment accuracy of the receiving / transmitting components is usually related to cost and insertion loss; higher accuracy means higher cost and greater insertion loss. Therefore, low-sidelobe array antennas utilizing high-precision phase shifters have higher costs and greater insertion loss.

[0005] In summary, among the above-mentioned technical solutions for implementing the feeding system of array antennas, passive power dividers are costly and prone to deviations during phase modulation, while high-precision phase shifters, although capable of precise phase control, are costly and have significant insertion loss. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, a novel antenna element is proposed, which can achieve precise phase control and low insertion loss while taking cost into account. An array antenna including the above-mentioned antenna element is also provided.

[0007] Therefore, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows.

[0008] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an antenna array element, including:

[0009] A dielectric plate, comprising a first side and a second side that are opposite to each other;

[0010] A radiating element is disposed on the first surface;

[0011] A power supply balun, which is located on the second surface;

[0012] Phase shifter, which is electrically connected to the feed balun; and

[0013] A dielectric block, located on one side of the dielectric plate, is in contact with and completely covers the feed balun, and the dielectric constant of the dielectric block can be controlled and adjusted.

[0014] By employing the above technical solution, the excitation phase of the fed balun can be adjusted using a phase shifter and a dielectric block, resulting in an excitation phase close to the desired ideal excitation phase, thereby reducing the sidelobe level of the antenna composed of antenna elements. Furthermore, based on the adjustment of the excitation phase of the fed balun using a dielectric block, a low-precision phase shifter can be selected, thereby reducing the cost of the antenna elements and lowering the insertion loss caused by using a high-precision phase shifter.

[0015] In one possible implementation according to the first aspect, the dielectric constant of the dielectric block is adjustable within the range of (1, ε). r2max The upper limit ε of the control range r2max satisfy:

[0016]

[0017] Where, ε r1 λ is the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer of the dielectric substrate, λ is the wavelength of the signal of the microstrip line of the feed balun, L is the extension length of the microstrip line of the feed balun, N is the number of bits of the phase shifter, and q1 and q2 are predetermined variable values.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the control range of the dielectric constant of the dielectric block can be quantized based on the number of bits of the phase shifter, which is beneficial for accurately constructing the dielectric block according to actual needs.

[0019] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, N≤4.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, an electronic phase shifter with a specific number of bits can balance cost and phase adjustment function, and suppress insertion loss.

[0021] In one possible embodiment according to the first aspect, the dielectric block has a solid structure, and the dielectric block comprises ferroelectric material and / or liquid crystal material.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, a method for constructing a dielectric block that is easy to implement is proposed. The dielectric constant of the dielectric block can be adjusted by the bias voltage drawn from the feed source of the antenna array element. Therefore, the dielectric constant adjustment method of this dielectric block is also easy to implement.

[0023] In one possible embodiment of the first aspect, the ferroelectric material is barium strontium titanate or polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene copolymer.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, a typical example of ferroelectric materials is provided, which takes into account both the phase modulation capability and cost of the dielectric block.

[0025] In one possible implementation according to the first aspect, the medium block comprises a hollow shell and a liquid medium filled within the shell.

[0026] By adopting the above technical solution, another solution for constructing dielectric blocks is proposed. This type of dielectric block has a lower cost and a wider tuning range compared to dielectric blocks using ferroelectric materials and / or liquid crystal materials.

[0027] In one possible embodiment according to the first aspect, the housing has a cuboid shape, the height direction of the housing is aligned with the height direction of the antenna array element, and the dielectric constant ε of the dielectric block as a whole is... r The following relationship must be satisfied.

[0028]

[0029] Wherein, the wall thickness of the shell is D, the height of the hollow region inside the shell is H, the height of the liquid medium is d1, and the dielectric constant of the shell material is ε. r1 The dielectric constant of the liquid medium is ε. r2 .

[0030] By adopting the above technical solution, the dielectric constant of the dielectric block constructed using a shell and liquid medium can be controlled with sufficient precision, thereby adjusting the excitation phase of the antenna array elements.

[0031] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the liquid medium is water or ethanol.

[0032] By adopting the above technical solution, a typical example of liquid medium is provided, which takes into account both the phase adjustment capability and cost of the medium block.

[0033] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an array antenna, which includes the antenna array element described in any of the above technical solutions.

[0034] By adopting the above technical solution, a low sidelobe array antenna can be realized.

[0035] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the plurality of said antenna elements are arranged at equal intervals on the same straight line.

[0036] By adopting the above technical solution, an easily implementable structural layout for the array antenna of this application is proposed.

[0037] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the array antenna is a dipole array antenna.

[0038] Beneficial effects: By adopting the above technical solution, a typical example of the array antenna of this application is presented.

[0039] These and other aspects of this application will become more apparent in the description of the following embodiments(s). Attached Figure Description

[0040] The accompanying drawings, which are included in and form part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of this application together with the specification and serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0041] Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the antenna array element according to the first embodiment of this application in a perspective view.

[0042] Figure 1B It shows Figure 1A The graph shows the change in dielectric constant of the dielectric block of the antenna array element as a function of the bias voltage applied to the dielectric block, where the horizontal axis represents the bias voltage and the vertical axis represents the dielectric constant.

[0043] Figure 1C It shows Figure 1A The graph shows the phase of the feed voltage of the antenna array element as a function of the dielectric constant of the dielectric block, where the horizontal axis represents the dielectric constant and the vertical axis represents the phase of the feed voltage.

[0044] Figure 1DThe diagram shows an antenna pattern used to illustrate the effects of this application, where the horizontal axis represents the space angle and the vertical axis represents the beam level. Curve 1 is the antenna pattern after phase modulation using only a 4-bit electronic phase shifter, curve 2 is the antenna pattern after phase modulation using a 4-bit electronic phase shifter and a dielectric block, and curve 3 is the antenna pattern using an ideal feed phase obtained through optimization algorithm iteration.

[0045] Figure 2A This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the antenna array element according to the second embodiment of this application in a perspective view.

[0046] Figure 2B It shows Figure 2A The graph shows the dielectric constant of the dielectric block of the antenna array element as a function of the height of the liquid medium, where the horizontal axis represents the height of the liquid medium and the vertical axis represents the dielectric constant.

[0047] Figure 2C It shows Figure 2A The graph shows the phase of the feed voltage of the antenna array element as a function of the dielectric constant of the dielectric block, where the horizontal axis represents the dielectric constant and the vertical axis represents the phase of the feed voltage.

[0048] Figure 2D It shows Figure 2A A perspective view of the dielectric block of the antenna array element.

[0049] Figure 2E The diagram shows the antenna pattern used in this application, where the horizontal axis represents the space angle and the vertical axis represents the beam level. Curve 1 is the antenna pattern after phase modulation using only a 4-bit electronic phase shifter, curve 2 is the antenna pattern after phase modulation using a 4-bit electronic phase shifter and a dielectric block, and curve 3 is the antenna pattern using the ideal feed phase obtained through optimization algorithm iteration.

[0050] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the array antenna according to this application.

[0051] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the range of adjustment of the dielectric constant of the dielectric block of the antenna array element in this application.

[0052] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0053] 1. Dielectric plate 2. Radiation unit 3. Feed balun 4. Phase shifter 5. Dielectric block 51. Housing 52. Liquid medium L. Height direction. Detailed Implementation

[0054] Various exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote elements that have the same or similar functions. Although various aspects of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, they are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated otherwise.

[0055] The term “exemplary” as used herein means “serving as an example, embodiment, or illustration.” Any embodiment illustrated herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or better than other embodiments.

[0056] Furthermore, to better illustrate this application, numerous specific details are provided in the following detailed embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application can be implemented even without certain specific details. In some instances, methods, means, and elements well-known to those skilled in the art have not been described in detail in order to highlight the main points of this application.

[0057] In this application, unless otherwise specified, "height direction" refers to the height direction of the antenna array element, and can also be considered as the height direction of the feed balun (balancer) in the embodiment.

[0058] The following is a brief overview of the technical concept of this application. This application proposes a novel antenna element design for a low-sidelobe array antenna. This antenna element employs a scheme combining a low-precision phase shifter and a dielectric block capable of changing the dielectric constant to precisely adjust the excitation phase of each antenna element. This scheme is applicable to any low-sidelobe array antenna, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio and reducing the influence of external clutter signals on the main beam. It can effectively improve the anti-interference capability of array antennas using this antenna element and also facilitates the implementation of spatial multiplexing technology in array antennas. Furthermore, in addition to precisely adjusting the excitation phase, the antenna element of this application saves costs, and the use of a low-precision phase shifter results in lower insertion loss.

[0059] The antenna array element according to the first embodiment of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0060] (An antenna array element according to the first embodiment of this application)

[0061] like Figure 1A As shown, the antenna array element according to the first embodiment of this application is a dipole antenna array element, which includes a dielectric substrate 1, a radiating element 2, a feed balun 3, a phase shifter 4, and a dielectric block 5.

[0062] Specifically, the dielectric substrate 1 has a flat plate shape and has opposite first and second sides. The radiating unit 2 is printed on the first side of the dielectric substrate 1, and the feed balun 3 is a microstrip line feed balun printed on the second side of the dielectric substrate 1. The feed balun 3 feeds the two arms of the radiating unit 2, thereby enabling the radiating unit 2 to emit and receive electromagnetic wave signals.

[0063] In this embodiment, the phase shifter 4 is a low-precision 4-bit electronic phase shifter. The phase shifter 4 is electrically connected to the feed balun 3 and is used to adjust the voltage phase of the excitation signal.

[0064] In this embodiment, the dielectric block 5 is formed as a solid sheet shape, and the dielectric block 5 contacts and completely covers the feed balun 3 from one side. In this embodiment, the dielectric block 5 is made of a ferroelectric material such as barium strontium titanate (BST) or polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene copolymer (P(VDF-TrFE)). In this case, a bias voltage can be directly led out at the feed of the antenna element and electrically connected to the dielectric block 5, and the voltage applied to the dielectric block 5 can be controlled by digital circuitry, so that the polarization of the internal molecular structure of the dielectric block 5 rotates according to the change of the applied voltage, thereby changing the dielectric constant. For example, when the dielectric block 5 with adjustable dielectric constant is in the form of a sheet made of polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene copolymer, the spontaneous polarization of adjacent lattices inside the material can change according to the change of the applied voltage. Figure 1B As shown, the dielectric constant of dielectric block 5 can generally vary from 16 to 26. Therefore, the voltage phase of the excitation signal transmitted by the feed balun 3 loaded on one side of dielectric block 5 will also be as shown. Figure 1C This change allows the dielectric constant of dielectric block 5 to be adjusted in a controlled manner, thereby altering the voltage phase of the excitation signal.

[0065] Based on the above scheme, and according to the ideal feeding conditions, the voltage of the excitation signal of the antenna elements is first roughly phase-tuned (coarse-tuned) by a low-precision phase shifter 4. Then, by changing the dielectric constant of the dielectric block 5, the effective dielectric constant of the feeding balun 3 changes approximately linearly, thereby performing precise phase-tuning (fine-tuning). The phase of the excitation signal actually fed into the array elements approaches the ideal value, thus achieving the goal of reducing the sidelobe level of the array antenna.

[0066] The following uses simulation data to illustrate the effect of the array antenna composed of antenna array elements according to the first embodiment of this application.

[0067] The antenna array is constructed using twelve antenna elements according to the first embodiment of this application, as follows: Figure 3 In the case of the linear array antenna shown, assuming the target task is to reduce the sidelobe level of the E-plane pattern to below -40dB within a spatial angle range of 20° to 90°, as shown in Tables 1-1 and 1-2 below, the amplitude (omitted) and phase of each antenna element under ideal excitation were obtained through optimization algorithm iteration, and the phase of phase modulation by a 4-bit electronic phase shifter was determined accordingly.

[0068] like Figure 1DAs shown, when each antenna element is fed with the ideal optimized value, the radiation pattern of the array antenna is as shown in curve 3, achieving a low sidelobe level below -40dB in the space angle from 20° to 90°. When each antenna element is phase-tuned using only a 4-bit electronic phase shifter (with a phase step of 22.5°), the radiation pattern of the array antenna is as shown in curve 1, indicating that the phase error significantly increases the sidelobe level. When each antenna element is phase-tuned using a 4-bit electronic phase shifter and a dielectric block 5 with adjustable dielectric constant, the radiation pattern of the array antenna is as shown in curve 2. Based on the 4-bit electronic phase shifter, by precisely controlling the bias voltage of the dielectric block 5 (ferroelectric sheet) on one side of each antenna element, the phase value of the feed balun 3 is changed, thereby achieving precise control of the antenna element phase. It is evident that the array antenna implemented by the technology of this application can achieve the ideal low sidelobe effect quite well.

[0069] [Table 1-1]

[0070] Ideal phase 7.785 -18.063 -31.252 -31.132 -19.208 0.583 4-bit electronic phase shifter 0 -22.5 -22.5 -22.5 -22.5 0

[0071] [Table 1-2]

[0072] Ideal phase 32.268 46.117 53.039 40.598 3.119 -54.349 4-bit electronic phase shifter 22.5 45 45 45 0 -45

[0073] It is understandable that loading a dielectric block 5 made of ferroelectric material with an adjustable dielectric constant onto the feed balun 3 to achieve phase modulation is not only simple in structure and low in cost, but also allows for precise adjustment of the voltage phase of the excitation signal within a range of less than 15°. Furthermore, it avoids the problem of high insertion loss caused by directly using a high-precision electronic phase shifter 4, resulting in lower insertion loss.

[0074] The antenna array element according to the second embodiment of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0075] (An antenna array element according to the second embodiment of this application)

[0076] like Figure 2A As shown, the antenna array element of the second embodiment of this application has a basically the same structure as the antenna array element of the first embodiment of this application. The following mainly describes the differences between the two.

[0077] In this embodiment, as Figure 2AAs shown, the dielectric block 5 includes a hollow shell 51 and a liquid dielectric 52 filled inside the shell 51. The dielectric block 5 contacts and completely covers the feed balun 3 from one side. In this embodiment, the shell 51 of the dielectric block 5 has an overall cuboid shape, and the internal space of the shell 51 is also formed into a cuboid shape. The height direction of the shell 51 is consistent with the height direction L of the antenna array element. The shell 51 is made of plastic (dielectric constant of 2.7) and has the same wall thickness. A portion of the space inside the shell 51 is filled with the liquid dielectric 52, which is water (which can be pure water with a dielectric constant of 81), and the unfilled portion is filled with air (dielectric constant of 1). In this case, the height of the liquid dielectric 52 inside the shell 51 can be controlled by an external mechanical pump, thereby changing the overall equivalent dielectric constant of the dielectric block. Figure 2B As shown, the dielectric constant of dielectric block 5 can vary from 1 to 20, therefore the phase of the signal transmitted by the feed balun 3 loaded on one side of dielectric block 5 will also be as shown. Figure 2C This change allows the dielectric constant of dielectric block 5 to be adjusted in a controlled manner, thereby altering the voltage phase of the excitation signal.

[0078] Furthermore, in order to precisely control the equivalent dielectric constant of dielectric block 5, a method for precisely controlling the dielectric constant of dielectric block 5 was obtained through experiments. Specifically, as follows... Figure 2D As shown, when the wall thickness of the shell 51 is D (mm), the height of the hollow region inside the shell 51 is H (mm), the height of the liquid medium 52 is d1 (mm), and the dielectric constant of the material of the shell 51 is ε r1 The dielectric constant of liquid medium 52 is ε r2 The dielectric constant ε of dielectric block 5 as a whole r The following relationship is satisfied, thereby enabling precise control of the dielectric constant of dielectric block 5.

[0079]

[0080] Based on the above scheme, and according to the ideal feeding conditions, the voltage of the excitation signal of the antenna elements is first roughly phase-tuned (coarse-tuned) by a low-precision phase shifter 4. Then, by changing the dielectric constant of the dielectric block 5, the effective dielectric constant of the feeding balun 3 changes approximately linearly, thereby performing precise phase-tuning (fine-tuning). The phase of the excitation signal actually fed into the array elements approaches the ideal value, thus achieving the goal of reducing the sidelobe level of the array antenna.

[0081] The antenna array is constructed using twelve antenna elements according to the first embodiment of this application, as follows: Figure 3In the case of the linear array antenna shown, assuming that the target task is also to suppress the sidelobes of the E-plane pattern to below -40dB within the spatial angle range of 20° to 90°, as shown in Tables 1-1 and 1-2 above, the amplitude (omitted) and phase of each antenna element under ideal excitation were obtained through optimization algorithm iteration, and the phase of phase modulation by a 4-bit electronic phase shifter was determined accordingly.

[0082] like Figure 2E As shown, when the excitation of each antenna element is fed with the ideal optimized value, the radiation pattern of the array antenna is as shown in curve 3. A low sidelobe level below -40dB can be achieved within a spatial angle of 20° to 90°. When only a 4-bit electronic phase shifter (with a phase step of 22.5°) is used to phase-modulate each antenna element, the radiation pattern of the array antenna is as shown in curve 1. It can be seen that the phase error significantly increases the sidelobe level. When a 4-bit electronic phase shifter and a dielectric block 5 with adjustable dielectric constant are used to phase-modulate each antenna element, the radiation pattern of the array antenna is as shown in curve 2. Based on the 4-bit electronic phase shifter, by precisely controlling the height of the dielectric block 5 (containing liquid medium 52) on one side of each antenna element, the phase value of the feed balun 3 is changed, thereby achieving precise control of the antenna element phase. It can be seen that the array antenna implemented by the technology of this application can achieve the ideal low sidelobe effect quite well.

[0083] It is understandable that the phase modulation function can be achieved by loading a dielectric block 5 containing liquid medium 52 with an adjustable dielectric constant onto the feed balun 3. This solution not only has a simple structure and low cost, but also a wide tuning range.

[0084] The above content describes exemplary embodiments and related variations of the specific implementation of this application, and the following is a supplementary explanation.

[0085] i. In addition to the structures and related effects described in the above embodiments, the inventors have discovered through research that there is a corresponding quantitative relationship between the number of bits of the phase shifter 4 and the control range of the dielectric constant of the dielectric block 5, which is beneficial for accurately constructing the corresponding dielectric block based on the number of bits of the phase shifter 4. When the phase shifter 4 is an N-bit digital phase shifter, the phase step of the phase shifter 4 is... In the technical solution of this application, by setting the dielectric block 5, fine control can be further performed on the basis of the phase step of the phase shifter 4, so that the excitation phase of the feed balun 3 approaches the ideal value.

[0086] Furthermore, the phase shift of the signal in the microstrip line of the fed balun 3 (Unit: °) is:

[0087]

[0088] Where L is the extension length of the microstrip line of the fed balun 3, c is the speed of light in vacuum, f is the signal transmission frequency of the microstrip line of the fed balun 3, and ε e Let ε be the equivalent dielectric constant of the microstrip line fed by the balun 3. Therefore, it can be determined by changing ε. e The value is used to change its phase shift.

[0089] Furthermore, the maximum phase shift of the signal through the microstrip line fed by the balun 3. (Unit: °) is:

[0090]

[0091] Where, ε emax It is the maximum value of the change in the equivalent dielectric constant of dielectric plate 1 and dielectric block 5, ε emin It is the minimum change in the equivalent dielectric constant of dielectric substrate 1 and dielectric block 5. Considering practical engineering applications, ε is generally... emin Let be the dielectric constant of dielectric substrate 1, i.e., the case where the dielectric constant of the external dielectric block is 1.

[0092] Furthermore, when phase shifter 4 is an N-bit digital phase shifter, the additional phase modulation range that dielectric block 5 needs to implement... It needs to be equal to the phase step of phase shifter 4, that is:

[0093]

[0094] have to:

[0095]

[0096] Based on reference documents 1 and 2, the equivalent dielectric constant ε of dielectric plate 1 and dielectric block 5 is... e The relationship can be represented as:

[0097]

[0098] Among them, such as Figure 4 As shown, ε r1 ε is the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer of dielectric substrate 1. r2 This refers to the dielectric constant of dielectric block 5. The variable values ​​of q1 and q2 are explained in detail in reference documents 1 and 2. Therefore, when phase shifter 4 is an N-bit digital phase shifter, the maximum adjustable value of the dielectric constant of dielectric block 5 is:

[0099]

[0100] Therefore, the dielectric constant of dielectric block 5 can be adjusted within the range of: (1, ε r2max ).

[0101] Reference 1: Jilani, Muhammad Taha, et al. "Microstrip ring resonator-based sensing technique for meat quality". Wireless Technology and Applications IEEE, 2013: 220-224.

[0102] Reference 2: David M. Pozaar, Microwave Engineering, Third Edition, translated by Zhang Zhaoyi, Zhou Lezhu, Wu Deming, et al. Beijing: Electronic Industry Press, 2006, pp. 124-124.

[0103] Furthermore, it is understood that in this application, in order to save costs and reduce insertion loss, phase shifter 4 is a low-precision electronic phase shifter, where N≤4. Typically, N=4 or N=3.

[0104] ii. It is understood that when the dielectric block 5 has a solid structure, the dielectric block 5 can be made of ferroelectric materials or liquid crystal materials. Furthermore, the liquid medium is not limited to water as described in the above embodiments, but can also be other liquid media such as ethanol.

[0105] iii. This application also provides an array antenna including the above-described antenna elements. For example, such as Figure 3 As shown, the array antenna may include twelve antenna elements, which can form a linear array antenna. In other alternatives, the array antenna may include two or more antenna elements, which can also be arranged in other shapes. Furthermore, the antenna elements in this application can be dipole antenna elements or other types of antenna elements.

[0106] iv. It is understood that the scheme of this application can, according to actual needs, perform a more refined phase adjustment through dielectric block 5 on the basis of the coarse adjustment of the voltage phase of the excitation signal of the antenna array element. Thus, the dielectric block 5, in combination with the low-position electronic phase shifter, completes the precise phase adjustment function of a high-position electronic phase shifter. Furthermore, since the scheme of this application has a simple structure and high integration, it can also perform error correction on the array antenna with a power divider, correcting the error introduced by the power divider. Furthermore, compared with the scheme using a high-position electronic phase shifter, the scheme of this application has a simpler structure, does not have too many cascaded digital circuits, and introduces less insertion loss, which can reduce the insertion loss by more than 3dB.

[0107] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, disclosure, and appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple instances. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce a good effect.

[0108] The various embodiments of this application have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or improvement of the technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An antenna array element, characterized in that, include: A dielectric plate, comprising a first side and a second side that are opposite to each other; A radiating element is disposed on the first surface; A power supply balun, which is located on the second surface; A phase shifter that is electrically connected to the feed balun; as well as A dielectric block, located on one side of the dielectric substrate, contacts and completely covers the feed balun; the dielectric constant of the dielectric block can be controllably adjusted. The dielectric constant of the dielectric block is adjustable within the range of (1, ε). r2max The upper limit ε of the control range r2max satisfy: Where, ε r1 λ is the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer of the dielectric substrate, λ is the wavelength of the signal of the microstrip line of the feed balun, L is the extension length of the microstrip line of the feed balun, N is the number of bits of the phase shifter, and q1 and q2 are predetermined variable values.

2. The antenna array element according to claim 1, characterized in that, N≤4。 3. The antenna array element according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The dielectric block has a solid structure and includes ferroelectric materials and / or liquid crystal materials.

4. The antenna array element according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ferroelectric material is barium strontium titanate or polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene copolymer.

5. The antenna array element according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The medium block comprises a hollow shell and a liquid medium filled within the shell.

6. The antenna array element according to claim 5, characterized in that, The housing has a cuboid shape, and the height direction of the housing is consistent with the height direction of the antenna array element. The dielectric constant ε of the entire dielectric block is... r The following relationship must be satisfied. Wherein, the wall thickness of the shell is D, the height of the hollow region inside the shell is H, the height of the liquid medium is d1, and the dielectric constant of the shell material is ε. r1 The dielectric constant of the liquid medium is ε. r2 .

7. The antenna array element according to claim 5, characterized in that, The liquid medium is water or ethanol.

8. An array antenna, characterized in that, The array antenna includes a plurality of antenna elements as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The array antenna according to claim 8, characterized in that, Multiple antenna array elements are arranged at equal intervals on the same straight line.

10. The array antenna according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The array antenna is a dipole array antenna.

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