Polarization-adjustable transmission unit and directional diagram-reconfigurable transmission array antenna

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of antennas, and relates to a polarization-adjustable transmission unit and a directional diagram reconfigurable transmission array antenna. The polarization-adjustable transmission unit comprises a first patch layer, a first dielectric layer, a floor layer, a second dielectric layer and a second patch layer; the first patch layer comprises a first radiation patch, a second radiation patch and two diodes connected with the first radiation patch and the second radiation patch; the first radiation patch is arranged in the center of the top of the first dielectric layer, and the diagonal line is collinear with the diagonal line of the first dielectric layer; the second radiation patch sleeves the outer side of the first radiation patch at an interval, an inner ring is of a square structure, and an outer ring is of a circular structure; the working states of the two diodes are different; two loading grooves which are recessed towards the center direction of the first dielectric layer are formed in positions, corresponding to the diagonal line of the first dielectric layer, of the outer ring of the second radiation patch; and the second patch layer is connected with the first patch layer. According to the invention, transmission conversion can be realized, and reconfigurable directional diagrams are supported.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a polarization-adjustable transmission unit and a pattern-reconfigurable transmission array antenna. Background Art

[0002] With the development of science and the advancement of technology, the research on antennas is also changing with each passing day.

[0003] In wireless communication systems, the regulation of electromagnetic wave polarization and the reconfiguration of radiation patterns are extremely important functions. The application of transmissive metasurfaces loaded with diodes is a new method that can achieve both control of electromagnetic wave polarization mode and radiation pattern. It can change the polarization state of the incident wave through a suitable transmissive metasurface; at the same time, it can also achieve reconfiguration of radiation patterns by changing the state of the diodes loaded on the transmissive metasurface.

[0004] With the advent of a new round of technological revolution, the new generation of communication systems pursues higher efficiency, stronger anti-interference ability and more flexible control of electromagnetic waves. However, the traditional antenna system is difficult to achieve the above-mentioned requirements, so the transmission system has become another more promising option for the new generation of communication systems. The transmission antenna can improve the anti-interference ability by radiating circularly polarized electromagnetic waves, improve efficiency through its own system, and achieve more flexible control by loading diodes.

[0005] However, under the current transmission system, the bandwidth and transmittance of the antenna that can achieve both linear polarization to circular polarization control and 1-bit phase are not high. Summary of the invention

[0006] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a polarization-adjustable transmission unit and a radiation pattern-reconfigurable transmission array antenna to address the above technical problems, which can realize transmission conversion and support radiation pattern reconfiguration.

[0007] A polarization-adjustable transmission unit comprises: a first patch layer, a first dielectric layer, a floor layer, a second dielectric layer and a second patch layer stacked in sequence from top to bottom;

[0008] The first patch layer includes: a square first radiation patch, an annular second radiation patch, and two diodes connecting the first radiation patch and the second radiation patch; the first radiation patch is arranged at the top center of the first dielectric layer, and the diagonal is collinear with the diagonal of the first dielectric layer; the second radiation patch is sleeved on the outside of the first radiation patch at intervals, and the inner ring is a square structure and the outer ring is a circular structure; the two diodes have different working states; the outer ring of the second radiation patch is provided with two loading slots recessed toward the center of the first dielectric layer at the position corresponding to the diagonal of the first dielectric layer;

[0009] The second patch layer is used for x-polarization reflection and y-polarization transmission, or for x-polarization transmission and y-polarization reflection, and the second patch layer is connected to the first patch layer.

[0010] In one embodiment, the loading slot is a quadrilateral slot, comprising a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side connected end to end; wherein the first side, the second side and the third side are straight sides, and the fourth side is an arc side;

[0011] The first side and the second side are axially symmetrically distributed about a diagonal line of the first dielectric layer, two ends of the third side are respectively vertically connected to the first side and the second side, and the fourth side is a part of the outer ring of the second radiation patch.

[0012] In one embodiment, the inner ring of the second radiation patch is arranged at equal intervals from the first radiation patch.

[0013] In one embodiment, a distance between the first radiation patch and the second radiation patch is smaller than a width of the loading slot.

[0014] In one embodiment, one end of the diode is connected to the midpoint of the side length of the first radiation patch, and the other end of the diode is connected to the midpoint of the inner ring side length of the second radiation patch.

[0015] In one embodiment, the second patch layer includes: a third radiation patch in a rectangular ring structure and a fourth radiation patch in a rectangular structure;

[0016] The third radiation patch is arranged at the bottom center of the second dielectric layer, and the side lengths thereof are respectively arranged parallel to the side lengths of the second dielectric layer;

[0017] One end of the fourth radiation patch is arranged on the inner ring of the third radiation patch, and the other end extends toward the center of the second dielectric layer, so that a "U"-shaped band gap is formed between the third radiation patch and the fourth radiation patch.

[0018] In one embodiment, one end of the fourth radiation patch is vertically arranged at the midpoint of the inner ring in the length direction of the third radiation patch.

[0019] In one embodiment, the widths of opposite sides of the third radiation patch are equal and the widths of adjacent sides are unequal, and the widths of opposite sides of the "U"-shaped band gap are equal and the widths of adjacent sides are unequal.

[0020] In one embodiment, the side width of the third radiation patch in the length direction is A, the side width of the third radiation patch in the width direction is B, and the side width on both sides of the fourth radiation patch on the "U"-shaped band gap is C, and ABC is a decreasing arithmetic progression.

[0021] A transmission array antenna with reconfigurable directivity pattern, comprising: a feed source and a plurality of polarization-adjustable transmission units;

[0022] A plurality of polarization-adjustable transmission unit arrays are distributed to form a transmission array;

[0023] There is a gap between the feed source and the second patch layer of the transmission array.

[0024] The above-mentioned polarization-adjustable transmission unit can realize the conversion of y-polarized electromagnetic waves to circular polarization between the frequencies of 11.6GHz-12.5GHz, and has a transmittance of more than 80% and a phase resolution of 1bit, realizing the polarization control of electromagnetic waves, and has broadband characteristics, which improves the anti-interference ability and working efficiency of the antenna, and also greatly expands the application scenarios of the antenna.

[0025] The above-mentioned directional pattern reconfigurable transmission array antenna arranges the transmission units into an array to form a circularly polarized transmission metasurface array. The circularly polarized electromagnetic waves can be obtained by irradiating the circularly polarized transmission metasurface array with a traditional horn that radiates y-polarized electromagnetic waves. At the same time, by changing the diode state of the circularly polarized transmission metasurface array, the directional pattern of the transmission wave can be adjusted. While ensuring that the gain drop is within the 3dB range, the maximum scanning angle of the antenna is 20 degrees. In addition, the y-polarized electromagnetic wave radiated by the feed source is converted into a circularly polarized electromagnetic wave after passing through the transmission metasurface, and the directional pattern of the transmission wave is adjusted by changing the diode loaded on the transmission metasurface, so that the directional pattern can be reconfigured. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 is a side view of a polarization-adjustable transmission unit in one embodiment;

[0027] Figure 2 is a top view of a polarization-adjustable transmission unit in one embodiment;

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a transmission array antenna with reconfigurable directional pattern in one embodiment;

[0029] Figure 4 is a top-view dimensional diagram of a polarization-adjustable transmission unit in a specific embodiment;

[0030] Figure 5 is a bottom-view dimensional diagram of a polarization-adjustable transmission unit in a specific embodiment;

[0031] Figure 6 is an amplitude-frequency curve diagram of a polarization-adjustable transmission unit in two states in a specific embodiment;

[0032] Figure 7is a phase-frequency curve diagram of a polarization-adjustable transmission unit in two states in a specific embodiment;

[0033] Figure 8 is a coding diagram of a transmission array antenna with reconfigurable directional pattern in a specific embodiment when the deflection angle is 0°;

[0034] Fig. 9 is a coding diagram of a transmission array antenna with reconfigurable directional pattern in a specific embodiment when the deflection angle is 10°;

[0035] Fig.10 is a coding diagram of a transmission array antenna with a reconfigurable directional pattern in a specific embodiment when the deflection angle is 20°;

[0036] Fig.11 is a three-dimensional radiation pattern of a radiation pattern reconfigurable transmission array antenna when deflected by 0 degrees in a specific embodiment;

[0037] Fig.12 is a two-dimensional radiation pattern of a radiation pattern reconfigurable transmission array antenna when deflected by 0 degrees in a specific embodiment;

[0038] Fig.13 is a three-dimensional radiation pattern of a radiation pattern reconfigurable transmission array antenna when it is deflected by 10 degrees in a specific embodiment;

[0039] Fig.14 is a two-dimensional radiation pattern of a radiation pattern reconfigurable transmission array antenna when it is deflected by 10 degrees in a specific embodiment;

[0040] Fig.15 A three-dimensional radiation pattern of a radiation pattern reconfigurable transmission array antenna when deflected by 20 degrees in a specific embodiment;

[0041] Fig.16 It is a two-dimensional radiation pattern of the radiation pattern reconfigurable transmission array antenna when it is deflected by 20 degrees in a specific embodiment.

[0042] Reference numerals:

[0043] Transmission array A, circularly polarized transmitted electromagnetic wave A';

[0044] First patch layer 1, first radiation patch 6, second radiation patch 7, first diode 8, second diode 9;

[0045] A first dielectric layer 2;

[0046] Floor layer 3;

[0047] A second dielectric layer 4;

[0048] The second patch layer 5;

[0049] Connector 10;

[0050] Feed source B, y-polarized electromagnetic wave B'. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0052] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present application (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0053] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in this application are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, "multiple groups" means at least two groups, such as two groups, three groups, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0054] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connection", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a physical connection, or a wireless communication connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0055] In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in the field can implement it. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0056] The present application provides a polarization-adjustable transmission unit, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, in one embodiment, it includes: a first patch layer, a first dielectric layer, a floor layer, a second dielectric layer and a second patch layer, wherein the first patch layer, the first dielectric layer, the floor layer, the second dielectric layer and the second patch layer are stacked in sequence from top to bottom.

[0057] The first patch layer is a metal structure, including: a first radiation patch, a second radiation patch and two diodes. The first radiation patch is a square structure, arranged at the top center of the first dielectric layer, and the diagonal is collinear with the diagonal of the first dielectric layer. The second radiation patch is a ring structure, which is arranged on the outside of the first radiation patch at intervals, and the inner ring is a square structure and the outer ring is a circular structure; the outer ring of the second radiation patch is provided with two loading slots recessed toward the center of the first dielectric layer at the position corresponding to the diagonal of the first dielectric layer. The diode connects the first radiation patch and the second radiation patch, and the length direction of the diode is 45° to the diagonal direction of the dielectric layer. The working states of the two diodes are different to form a phase difference of 180 degrees to achieve 1bit phase resolution.

[0058] The first dielectric layer is a non-metallic structure.

[0059] The floor layer is a metal structure and can be fully covered.

[0060] The second dielectric layer is a non-metallic structure.

[0061] The second patch layer is a metal structure, and the second patch layer is connected to the first patch layer through a connector (the specific connector can adopt existing technology, such as metal columns or metal through holes), which is used for x-polarization reflection and y-polarization transmission, or for x-polarization transmission and y-polarization reflection.

[0062] Preferably, the loading slot is a quadrilateral slot, including a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side connected end to end; wherein the first side, the second side and the third side are all straight sides, and the fourth side is an arc side, so as to form a convex quadrilateral structure; the first side and the second side are axially symmetrically distributed about a diagonal line of the first dielectric layer, the two ends of the third side are respectively vertically connected to the first side and the second side, and the fourth side is a part of the outer ring of the second radiation patch. The above arrangement can form a circularly polarized current and provide a longer current path.

[0063] Further preferably, the inner ring of the second radiation patch is arranged at equal intervals with the first radiation patch, that is, a square ring structure of equal width is formed between the second radiation patch and the first radiation patch, so as to produce a coupling effect between the second radiation patch and the first radiation patch, thereby ensuring the effect of the formed circularly polarized current and circularly polarized phase.

[0064] More preferably, the distance between the first radiation patch and the second radiation patch is smaller than the width of the loading slot, so as to improve the transmittance of circular polarization and expand the bandwidth.

[0065] More preferably, one end of the diode is connected to the midpoint of the side length of the first radiation patch, and the other end of the diode is connected to the midpoint of the side length of the inner ring of the second radiation patch.

[0066] In another embodiment, the second patch layer includes: a third radiation patch and a fourth radiation patch; the third radiation patch is a rectangular ring structure, arranged at the bottom center of the second dielectric layer, and the side lengths are respectively arranged parallel to the side lengths of the second dielectric layer; the fourth radiation patch is a rectangular structure, one end of the fourth radiation patch is arranged on the inner ring of the third radiation patch, and the other end extends toward the center of the second dielectric layer, so that a "U"-shaped band gap is formed between the third radiation patch and the fourth radiation patch; the fourth radiation patch of the second patch layer is connected to the first radiation patch of the first patch layer, so that the first radiation patch receives the transmitted signal.

[0067] Preferably, one end of the fourth radiation patch is vertically arranged at the midpoint of the inner ring in the length direction of the third radiation patch.

[0068] Further preferably, the widths of opposite sides in the third radiation patch are equal and the widths of adjacent sides are unequal, and the widths of opposite sides in the "U"-shaped band gap are equal and the widths of adjacent sides are unequal.

[0069] Further preferably, the side width in the length direction of the third radiation patch is A, the side width in the width direction of the third radiation patch is B, and the side width on both sides of the fourth radiation patch on the "U"-shaped band gap is C, and ABC is distributed in a decreasing arithmetic progression to increase the bandwidth so that the antenna has a high transmission bandwidth and high transmittance.

[0070] It should be noted that the orientation of the “U”-shaped band gap can be set according to actual conditions to achieve left-hand circular polarization or right-hand circular polarization.

[0071] In this embodiment, the antenna has two states. When the first PIN diode is turned off and the second PIN diode is turned on, the transmission unit is in state 0; when the first PIN diode is turned on and the second PIN diode is turned off, the transmission unit is in state 1.

[0072] When simulating in the simulation software, the equivalent circuit of the PIN tube is a series connection of capacitor, resistor and inductor. The parameters in the equivalent circuit are: R = 5.2Ω, L = 30pH and C = 0F when the diode is in the on state; C = 25fF, L = 30pH and R = 0Ω when it is in the off state.

[0073] The above-mentioned polarization-adjustable transmission unit can realize the conversion of y-polarized electromagnetic waves to circular polarization between the frequencies of 11.6GHz-12.5GHz, and has a transmittance of more than 80% and a phase resolution of 1bit, realizing the polarization control of electromagnetic waves, and has broadband characteristics, which improves the anti-interference ability and working efficiency of the antenna, and also greatly expands the application scenarios of the antenna.

[0074] The present application also provides a transmission array antenna with a reconfigurable directional pattern, such as Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment, it includes: a plurality of polarization-adjustable transmission units and a feed source.

[0075] A plurality of polarization-adjustable transmission unit arrays are distributed to form a transmission array as a transmission metasurface.

[0076] The feed source is arranged below the transmission array and is spaced apart from the second patch layer of the transmission array. For example, a horn antenna is used as the feed source.

[0077] The above-mentioned directional pattern reconfigurable transmission array antenna arranges the transmission units into an array to form a circularly polarized transmission metasurface array. The circularly polarized electromagnetic waves can be obtained by irradiating the circularly polarized transmission metasurface array with a traditional horn that radiates y-polarized electromagnetic waves. At the same time, by changing the diode state of the circularly polarized transmission metasurface array, the directional pattern of the transmission wave can be adjusted. While ensuring that the gain drop is within the 3dB range, the maximum scanning angle of the antenna is 20 degrees. In addition, the y-polarized electromagnetic wave radiated by the feed source is converted into a circularly polarized electromagnetic wave after passing through the transmission metasurface, and the directional pattern of the transmission wave is adjusted by changing the diode loaded on the transmission metasurface, so that the directional pattern can be reconfigured.

[0078] In a specific embodiment, the transmission units are formed into a 16×16 transmission array; wherein the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer of the transmission unit are both made of F4B, with a dielectric constant of 2.2 and a thickness of 0.8 mm; a circular isolation ring with a radius of 0.3 mm is provided on the floor layer to isolate the metal cylinder with a radius of 0.2 mm connecting the first radiation patch and the third radiation patch; other dimensions such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown.

[0079] The above-mentioned polarization-adjustable transmission unit and pattern-reconfigurable transmission array antenna are simulated, and the results are as follows.

[0080] like Figure 6As shown, SZmax(2), Zmin(1)(1) represents the curve of the amplitude of the left-handed circularly polarized wave transmitted by the transmission unit when the transmission unit is in state 0, and the amplitude of the left-handed circularly polarized wave transmitted by the transmission unit when the transmission unit is in state 1. Between 11.6GHz and 12.5GHz, the transmittance is higher than 80%, indicating that the transmission unit has a high transmittance within this frequency range regardless of the state it is in, that is, in both states, the y-polarized electromagnetic wave can pass through the transmission unit and transmit the circularly polarized electromagnetic wave.

[0081] like Figure 7 As shown in the figure, SZmax(2), Zmin(1)(1) represents the curve of the phase change of the left-handed circularly polarized wave transmitted by the transmission unit when the transmission unit is in state 0; SZmax(2), Zmin(1)(2) represents the curve of the phase change of the left-handed circularly polarized wave transmitted by the transmission unit when the transmission unit is in state 1. It can be seen that within the frequency range, the phase difference between the two states is 180 degrees, with a phase resolution of 1 bit.

[0082] like Figures 8 to 10 The coding diagram of the transmission array of the antenna shown in FIG. Figures 11 to 16 The three-dimensional and two-dimensional patterns of the antenna at different deflection angles are shown. It can be found that when the antenna is deflected by 0 degrees, the beam of the three-dimensional pattern is focused on the Z axis, and the horizontal coordinate corresponding to the highest point of the curve of the two-dimensional pattern is 0 degrees; when the antenna is deflected by 10 degrees, the beam of the three-dimensional pattern deviates from the Z axis, and the horizontal coordinate corresponding to the highest point of the curve of the two-dimensional pattern is 10 degrees, which proves that it is offset by 10 degrees; when the antenna is deflected by 20 degrees, the beam of the three-dimensional pattern deviates from the Z axis ( Fig.15 compared to Fig.13 The horizontal coordinate corresponding to the highest point of the curve of the two-dimensional directional diagram is 20 degrees, which proves that it is offset by 20 degrees.

[0083] The contents not described in detail in this specification belong to the prior art known to professional and technical personnel in this field.

[0084] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0085] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the present application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A polarization-adjustable transmission unit, characterized in that: It includes stacked in order from top to bottom: a first patch layer, a first dielectric layer, a floor layer, a second dielectric layer and a second patch layer; The first patch layer includes: a square first radiation patch, an annular second radiation patch, and two diodes connecting the first radiation patch and the second radiation patch; the first radiation patch is arranged at the top center of the first dielectric layer, and the diagonal is collinear with the diagonal of the first dielectric layer; the second radiation patch is sleeved on the outside of the first radiation patch at intervals, and the inner ring is a square structure and the outer ring is a circular structure; the two diodes have different working states; the outer ring of the second radiation patch is provided with two loading slots recessed toward the center of the first dielectric layer at the position corresponding to the diagonal of the first dielectric layer; The second patch layer is used for x-polarization reflection and y-polarization transmission, or for x-polarization transmission and y-polarization reflection, and the second patch layer is connected to the first patch layer.

2. The polarization-adjustable transmission unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The loading slot is a quadrilateral slot, comprising a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side connected end to end; wherein the first side, the second side and the third side are straight sides, and the fourth side is an arc side; The first side and the second side are axially symmetrically distributed about a diagonal line of the first dielectric layer, two ends of the third side are respectively vertically connected to the first side and the second side, and the fourth side is a part of the outer ring of the second radiation patch.

3. The polarization-adjustable transmission unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner ring of the second radiation patch is arranged at equal intervals from the first radiation patch.

4. The polarization-adjustable transmission unit according to claim 3, characterized in that: A distance between the first radiation patch and the second radiation patch is smaller than a width of the loading slot.

5. The polarization-adjustable transmission unit according to claim 4, characterized in that: One end of the diode is connected to the midpoint of the side length of the first radiation patch, and the other end of the diode is connected to the midpoint of the inner ring side length of the second radiation patch.

6. The polarization-adjustable transmission unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The second patch layer includes: a third radiation patch in a rectangular ring structure and a fourth radiation patch in a rectangular structure; The third radiation patch is arranged at the bottom center of the second dielectric layer, and the side lengths thereof are respectively arranged parallel to the side lengths of the second dielectric layer; One end of the fourth radiation patch is arranged on the inner ring of the third radiation patch, and the other end extends toward the center of the second dielectric layer, so that a "U"-shaped band gap is formed between the third radiation patch and the fourth radiation patch.

7. The polarization-adjustable transmission unit according to claim 6, characterized in that: One end of the fourth radiation patch is vertically arranged at the midpoint of the inner ring in the length direction of the third radiation patch.

8. The polarization-adjustable transmission unit according to claim 7, characterized in that: The widths of opposite sides of the third radiation patch are equal and the widths of adjacent sides are unequal; the widths of opposite sides of the "U"-shaped band gap are equal and the widths of adjacent sides are unequal.

9. The polarization-adjustable transmission unit according to claim 8, characterized in that: The side width of the third radiation patch in the length direction is A, the side width of the third radiation patch in the width direction is B, and the side width on both sides of the fourth radiation patch on the "U"-shaped band gap is C, and ABC is a decreasing arithmetic progression.

10. A transmission array antenna with reconfigurable directional pattern, characterized in that: include: A feed source and a plurality of polarization-adjustable transmission units as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; A plurality of polarization-adjustable transmission unit arrays are distributed to form a transmission array; There is a gap between the feed source and the second patch layer of the transmission array.

Images