A polarization-adjustable transmission unit and a pattern-reconfigurable transmission array antenna

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of antenna technology, and relates to a polarization-adjustable transmission unit and a pattern-reconfigurable transmission array antenna. The polarization-adjustable transmission unit includes 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 first radiation patch, a 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 arranged at intervals on the outside of the first radiation patch, and the inner ring is a square structure and the outer ring is a circular structure; the working states of the two diodes are different; 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 connected to the first patch layer. The present application can realize transmission conversion and support pattern reconfiguration.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a polarization-controllable 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 control of electromagnetic wave polarization and the reconfiguration of its radiation pattern are extremely important functions. The application of a transmissive metasurface loaded with diodes is a new method for controlling both the polarization mode and radiation pattern of electromagnetic waves. It can change the polarization state of the incident wave through a suitable transmissive metasurface and reconfigure the radiation pattern by changing the state of the diodes loaded on the transmissive metasurface.

[0004] With the advent of a new round of technological revolution, the next generation of communication systems pursues higher efficiency, stronger anti-interference capabilities, and more flexible control of electromagnetic waves. Traditional antenna systems struggle to meet these requirements, so transmissive antennas have become a promising alternative for this new generation of communication systems. Transmissive antennas can improve anti-interference capabilities by radiating circularly polarized electromagnetic waves, achieve higher efficiency through their inherent structure, and enable more flexible control through the addition of 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-controllable transmission unit and a pattern-reconfigurable transmission array antenna to address the above technical problems, which can realize transmission conversion and support 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 radiating patch, an annular second radiating patch, and two diodes connecting the first radiating patch and the second radiating patch; the first radiating patch is arranged at the top center of the first dielectric layer, and its diagonal is collinear with the diagonal of the first dielectric layer; the second radiating patch is arranged outside the first radiating patch at intervals, with the inner ring having a square structure and the outer ring having a circular structure; the two diodes have different working states; the outer ring of the second radiating patch is provided with two loading slots recessed toward the center of the first dielectric layer at positions corresponding to the diagonals 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 all straight sides, and the fourth side is an arcuate 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 vertically connected to the first side and the second side respectively, 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 side length of the inner ring 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 as to form a "U"-shaped band gap 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 pattern-reconfigurable transmission array antenna, 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, with broadband characteristics, improving the antenna's anti-interference ability and working efficiency, and also greatly expanding the application scenarios of the antenna.

[0025] The above-mentioned 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 pattern of the transmitted 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 pattern of the transmitted wave is adjusted by changing the diode loaded on the transmission metasurface, thereby realizing the reconfiguration of the pattern. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 FIG1 is a side view of a polarization-adjustable transmission unit according to an embodiment;

[0027] Figure 2 FIG1 is a top view of a polarization-adjustable transmission unit in one embodiment;

[0028] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a transmission array antenna with reconfigurable directivity pattern according to an embodiment;

[0029] Figure 4 is a top-down 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 1 is an amplitude-frequency curve diagram of a polarization-adjustable transmission unit in two states in a specific embodiment;

[0032] Figure 71 is 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 a reconfigurable directivity pattern in a specific embodiment when the deflection angle is 0°;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0041] Figure 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] 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 this application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for explaining this application and are not intended to limit this application. All other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments in this application without creative work are within the scope of protection of this 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 various 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 terms "first," "second," and so on, used in this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of this application, "multiple groups" means at least two groups, such as two groups, three groups, and so on, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0054] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "connect," "fix," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fix" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can mean a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a physical connection, or a wireless communication connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean internal communication between two elements or an interaction between two elements, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the 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 this field can implement it. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a 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 radiating patch, a second radiating patch, and two diodes. The first radiating patch is a square structure, located at the top center of the first dielectric layer, and its diagonal is collinear with the diagonal of the first dielectric layer. The second radiating patch is a ring structure, spaced outside the first radiating patch, with the inner ring being a square structure and the outer ring being a circular structure. The outer ring of the second radiating patch is provided with two loading slots recessed toward the center of the first dielectric layer at positions corresponding to the diagonal of the first dielectric layer. The diode connects the first radiating patch and the second radiating patch, and the length direction of the diode is 45° to the diagonal direction of the dielectric layer. The two diodes operate in different states to form a 180-degree phase difference, achieving 1-bit 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 a metal column or a metal through-hole), 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, 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 all straight sides, and the fourth side is an arcuate side, forming a convex quadrilateral structure; the first side and the second side are axially symmetrical about a diagonal line of the first dielectric layer, the third side is perpendicularly connected to the first side and the second side at both ends, and the fourth side forms part of the outer ring of the second radiating patch. This arrangement can generate 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 from 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 to generate 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 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.

[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 simulated in simulation software, the equivalent circuit of a PIN diode is a series connection of a capacitor, a resistor, and an inductor. The parameters in the equivalent circuit are: R = 5.2Ω, L = 30pH, and C = 0F for the diode in the on state; C = 25fF, L = 30pH, and R = 0Ω for 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, with broadband characteristics, improving the antenna's anti-interference ability and working efficiency, and also greatly expanding the application scenarios of the antenna.

[0074] The present application also provides a transmission array antenna with 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-controllable transmission unit arrays are distributed to form a transmission array as a transmission metasurface.

[0076] The feed source is provided 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 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 pattern of the transmitted 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 pattern of the transmitted wave is adjusted by changing the diode loaded on the transmission metasurface, thereby realizing the reconfiguration of the pattern.

[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-controllable 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) represent the curves of the amplitude of the left-handed circularly polarized wave transmitted by the transmission unit when the transmission unit is in state 0, which varies with the frequency; SZmax(2), Zmin(1)(2) represent the curves of the amplitude of the left-handed circularly polarized wave transmitted by the transmission unit when the transmission unit is in state 1, which varies with the frequency. 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 its state, that is, in both states, the y-polarized electromagnetic wave can pass through the transmission unit and can 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 at different deflection angles is shown, 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 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 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 20 degrees, the beam of the three-dimensional pattern deviates from the Z axis ( Figure 15 compared to Figure 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 can 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-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A polarization-adjustable transmission unit, characterized in that: 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; The first patch layer includes: a square first radiating patch, an annular second radiating patch, and two diodes connecting the first radiating patch and the second radiating patch; the first radiating patch is arranged at the top center of the first dielectric layer, and its diagonal is collinear with the diagonal of the first dielectric layer; the second radiating patch is arranged outside the first radiating patch at intervals, with the inner ring having a square structure and the outer ring having a circular structure; the two diodes have different working states; the outer ring of the second radiating patch is provided with two loading slots recessed toward the center of the first dielectric layer at positions corresponding to the diagonals 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 vertically connected to the first side and the second side respectively, 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 side length of the inner ring 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: With the width of the long side of the third radiation patch as A, the width of the short side of the third radiation patch as B, and the distance between the short sides of the fourth radiation patch and the third radiation patch as C, ABC is a decreasing arithmetic progression.

10. A transmission array antenna with reconfigurable directivity pattern, characterized in that: include: A feed source and a plurality of polarization-adjustable transmission units according to 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.

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