Antenna and communication method

Abstract

The invention provides an antenna and a communication method. The antenna (100) comprises a first substrate (101), a second substrate (102), a liquid crystal layer (103) and a plurality of patch gap pairs (104). The liquid crystal layer (103) is located between the first substrate (101) and the second substrate (102); each patch slot pair (104) comprises a patch (114) arranged on a first side, close to the second substrate (102), of the first substrate (101) and a slot structure (124) arranged on a second side, close to the first substrate (101), of the second substrate (102), the antenna (100) comprises a plurality of antenna units (110), and the plurality of antenna units comprise a plurality of receiving units (Rx) and a plurality of transmitting units (Tx), a plurality of receiving units (Rx) configured to receive electromagnetic waves of a first frequency band; the plurality of transmitting units (Tx) are configured to transmit electromagnetic waves of a second frequency band, and the plurality of receiving units (Rx) and the plurality of transmitting units (Tx) are located on the same array plane. According to the antenna, the design complexity of the antenna can be simplified, and the antenna is smaller and more portable.

Description

Antenna and communication method Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to antennas and communication methods. Background Art

[0002] Antennas, as the terminal equipment in most wireless communication systems, are crucial to the overall performance of the system. With technological advancements, the demands on antenna performance are becoming increasingly stringent. Beyond traditional specifications like gain and polarization, antennas are often also required to have low profiles, be lightweight, and conformal. While reflector antennas, phased array antennas, and lens antennas can achieve high gain, they each have significant disadvantages. For example, reflector antennas require a spatial illumination source, significantly increasing their profile. Phased array antennas require complex feed networks, making their design difficult and costly. Lens antennas already have a high profile, and the addition of an illumination source further increases this. Holographic antennas, as high-gain antennas, simultaneously meet these low-profile and lightweight requirements, making them well-suited for current applications and offering significant potential for development.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna, comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate arranged opposite to the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate; and a plurality of patch slot pairs, each patch slot pair comprising a patch arranged on a first side of the first substrate and a slot structure arranged on a second side of the second substrate, the first side being a side close to the second substrate, and the second side being a side close to the first substrate; the antenna comprising a plurality of antenna units, each antenna unit comprising one of the plurality of patch slot pairs and liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer located between the plurality of patch slot pairs, the plurality of antenna units comprising: a plurality of receiving units configured to receive electromagnetic waves in a first frequency band; and a plurality of transmitting units configured to transmit electromagnetic waves in a second frequency band.

[0005] For example, in the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the multiple receiving units and the multiple transmitting units are located on the same plane, and in the patch slot pair of each of the multiple receiving units and the patch slot pair of each of the multiple transmitting units, at least one of the length of the patch, the width of the patch, the length of the slot in the slot structure, and the width of the slot are different from each other.

[0006] For example, in the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the multiple receiving units and the multiple transmitting units are respectively arranged along the plane, and the area occupied by the multiple receiving units roughly overlaps with the area occupied by the multiple transmitting units.

[0007] For example, in the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the multiple receiving units and the multiple transmitting units share the same aperture plane.

[0008] For example, in the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the multiple receiving units include multiple receiving groups, each of the multiple receiving groups includes at least one adjacent receiving unit, the multiple transmitting units include multiple transmitting groups, each of the multiple transmitting groups includes at least one adjacent transmitting unit, and the multiple receiving groups and the multiple transmitting groups are arranged alternately.

[0009] For example, in the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of antenna units are arranged in a one-dimensional array, and the plurality of receiving groups and the plurality of transmitting groups are alternately arranged in a first direction.

[0010] For example, in the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, it also includes a waveguide, which is located on a third side of the second substrate away from the first substrate, the first end of the waveguide includes an excitation port, and the excitation port is configured to feed electromagnetic waves, the second end of the waveguide includes an absorbing component, and the absorbing component is configured to absorb the electromagnetic waves, and the first end and the second end are arranged opposite to each other in the first direction.

[0011] For example, in the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the multiple receiving groups and the multiple transmitting groups are alternately arranged in a first direction to form multiple antenna unit rows, and the multiple antenna unit rows are arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

[0012] For example, the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a feeding probe connected to the second substrate and located in the middle of the second substrate in both the first direction and the second direction.

[0013] For example, in the antenna provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the multiple receiving groups includes two of the receiving units, and each of the multiple transmitting groups includes one of the transmitting units.

[0014] For example, in the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the frequency of the electromagnetic waves in the first frequency band is lower than the frequency of the electromagnetic waves in the second frequency band, the patch area of ​​each of the multiple receiving units is larger than the patch area of ​​each of the multiple transmitting units, and the size of the slot structure of each of the multiple receiving units is the same as the size of the slot structure of each of the multiple transmitting units.

[0015] For example, in the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the length range of each slit in the multiple slot structures is [2 mm, 4.4 mm], the width range of each slit in the multiple slot structures is [0.16 mm, 0.5 mm], the length range of each of the multiple patches is [0.5 mm, 0.7 mm], and the width range of each of the multiple patches is [0.16 mm, 0.5 mm].

[0016] For example, in the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, multiple receiving units are configured to receive Ku-band electromagnetic waves, and the multiple transmitting units are configured to send Ku-band electromagnetic waves. The lengths of the slot structures of the multiple receiving units and the slot structures of the multiple transmitting units are both 3.6 mm, and the widths of the slot structures of the multiple receiving units and the slot structures of the multiple transmitting units are both 0.4 mm; the lengths of the patches of the multiple receiving units are 0.7 mm, and the widths of the patches of the multiple receiving units are 0.5 mm. The lengths of the patches of the multiple transmitting units are 0.6 mm, and the widths of the patches of the multiple transmitting units are 0.4 mm.

[0017] For example, in the antenna provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the distance range between adjacent receiving units and transmitting units is [2 mm, 3 mm].

[0018] For example, in the antenna provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, each slot structure includes an isolation wall for isolating two adjacent antenna units.

[0019] For example, in the antenna provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, air holes are provided in the isolation wall.

[0020] For example, in the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the multiple antenna units are arranged into P rows and Q columns, each row of antenna units is connected to at least one phase shifter, at least one phase shifter is used for beam control in the column direction, and P rows of antenna units are used for beam control in the row direction.

[0021] For example, in the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the angle between the slot length direction of the slot structure of each row of antenna units and the row direction is 45°, and the angle between the slot length directions of the slot structures on adjacent rows is 90°.

[0022] For example, in the antenna provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the slot structure of each of the multiple patch slot pairs is connected to the first voltage end, and each patch in the multiple patch slot pairs is connected to the second voltage end, and the voltage of the first voltage end is less than the voltage of the second voltage end.

[0023] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, which is applied to the antenna provided by any embodiment of the present disclosure, and the communication method includes: obtaining the beam pointing of the beam to be generated; generating a sampling sequence of the multiple antenna units according to the beam pointing, and the sampling sequence corresponds to a state sequence of the multiple antenna units; and controlling the liquid crystal deflection angle of the multiple antenna units according to the sampling sequence to utilize the antenna for communication. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only relate to some embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than limiting the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG1A shows a schematic diagram of an antenna 100 provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG1B shows a schematic diagram of another antenna unit 200 provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG1C shows a schematic structural diagram after voltage is applied to the antenna unit 200 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of an array arrangement of multiple antenna units provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG3 shows a simulation diagram of a resonance peak of a scattering parameter before and after adding an isolation wall, provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of a two-dimensional co-aperture beam steering antenna provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG5 shows a schematic diagram of another antenna provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG6 shows the sampling sequence and far-field radiation pattern of a beam provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure when the target angle is 0°;

[0033] FIG7 shows a diagram of radiation energy distribution in two liquid crystal molecule states according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG8A shows a far-field radiation pattern of a receiving unit provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG8B is a schematic diagram showing a working state of the receiving unit shown in FIG8A provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG8C shows a schematic diagram of radiation energy of the antenna unit shown in FIG8B provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] FIG9A shows a far-field radiation pattern of a transmitting unit provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] FIG9B is a schematic diagram showing a working state of the transmitting unit shown in FIG9A provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] FIG9C shows a schematic diagram of radiation energy of the antenna unit shown in FIG9B according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] FIG10A shows a far-field radiation pattern of a receiving unit and a transmitting unit operating simultaneously, provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] FIG10B is a schematic diagram showing a liquid crystal operating state corresponding to different frequencies provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] FIG11 shows a schematic diagram of achieving full band coverage of a receiving unit and a transmitting unit, provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] FIG12A is a schematic diagram showing a state change of liquid crystal continuous tuning within a low-band RxL range provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] FIG12B shows a far-field radiation pattern of a continuous working state within a frequency band within a low-band RxL band provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0045] FIG13 shows a flowchart of a communication method provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more clear, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0047] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure should have the usual meanings understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which this disclosure belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar words used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, words such as "one", "an" or "the" do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the existence of at least one. Words such as "include" or "comprise" mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Words such as "connect" or "connected" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0048] The concept of holographic antennas originates from the principles of optical holography. The principle is that the interference surface is formed by the interference of a target wave and a reference wave. The target wave is then inverted by illuminating the interference surface with the reference wave. The advent of metamaterials has made it possible to realize holographic antennas in the microwave band. A holographic antenna system consists solely of a holographic surface and a feed source, resulting in a very simple structure. The feed source is typically a horn antenna, monopole antenna, or slot antenna, eliminating the need for a complex feed network. However, to reduce the profile, monopole or slot antennas are often used as feed sources. The holographic surface primarily consists of a dielectric substrate and a periodically distributed array of metal patches, making it easy to fabricate and low-cost. The design process for the holographic surface is straightforward: simply calculate the interference field expression formed by the interference of the target and reference fields and design the metal patch distribution based on this interference field expression to obtain the desired holographic surface. If a different target wave is obtained, simply substitute the target field expression into the above process. This simplicity and flexibility in design are another major advantage of holographic antennas. In addition, holographic antennas are easy to conform to, and their performance will not be significantly affected when attached to curved surfaces such as spheres and cylinders.

[0049] Waveguide-fed metasurface antennas and apertures have garnered considerable attention in various fields, including computational imaging, communications, radar and synthetic aperture radar imaging, and wireless power transfer. Energy is fed through a waveguide array of metamaterial elements distributed on a surface, each element being significantly smaller than the operating wavelength. Each subwavelength metamaterial element scatters the incident field, which is primarily equivalent to a polarized electric or magnetic dipole, while introducing a phase shift and energy attenuation into the excitation field. The amount of phase shift and attenuation of the incident wave injected by scattering depends on the structure of the metamaterial element. The phase and amplitude variations are not independent but rather correlated, and the relationship is related to the inherent characteristics of Lorentz resonance. Metasurface antennas can be excited by tilted incident plane waves or guided wave feeding. The lack of independent control over phase and amplitude is compensated by phase focusing of the incident wave—similar to the operating mechanisms of leaky-wave and transmitted-wave antennas. When the spacing between metamaterial elements is deep subwavelength, the incident wave can be sampled by simple on / off switches to transmit and block energy. For such extreme, subwavelength sampling, high-fidelity beamforming and other radiation patterns can be achieved using numerical optimization techniques. The development of satellite communications expects terminal equipment to have a more compact structure, especially for mobile communications and low-orbit satellite communications.

[0050] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna. The antenna includes: a first substrate, a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer, a plurality of patches, and a plurality of slot structures. The liquid crystal layer is located between the first substrate and the second substrate; and a plurality of patch slot pairs, each patch slot pair includes a patch arranged on a first side of the first substrate close to the second substrate and a slot structure arranged on a second side of the second substrate close to the first substrate. The antenna includes a plurality of antenna units, each antenna unit includes one of the plurality of patch slot pairs and a liquid crystal portion in the liquid crystal layer located between one of the plurality of patch slot pairs. The plurality of antenna units include a plurality of receiving units and a plurality of transmitting units. The plurality of receiving units are configured to receive electromagnetic waves in a first frequency band; the plurality of transmitting units are configured to transmit electromagnetic waves in a second frequency band, and the plurality of receiving units and the plurality of transmitting units are located on the same array plane. The antenna can greatly simplify the complexity of the antenna design, making the antenna more compact and portable.

[0051] In the embodiments disclosed herein, a liquid crystal medium is added to the resonant loop formed by the gap structure and the patch. Different voltages are applied between the gap structure and the patch to change the liquid crystal orientation, i.e., the equivalent refractive index. This allows the position of the resonant peak of the resonant loop to be tuned, i.e., the radiated energy to be tuned. Furthermore, an amplitude sampling algorithm is used to achieve reconfigurable spatial beam pointing. The principle of designing different beam pointing directions using holographic principles is analyzed as follows:

[0052] As above is the target wave, is the reference wave function, represents the gap position vector, θ0 represents the direction angle, represents the pitch angle, i represents an imaginary number, k0 represents the air wave vector, k g Represents the air wave vector. The beam pointing angle includes the azimuth angle and the elevation angle. That is, the azimuth angle and the elevation angle together are the beam pointing angle.

[0053] The interference pattern of the array surface obtained by using the holographic principle is as follows:

[0054] The analysis using the amplitude sampling function is as follows:

[0055] Use the above amplitude sampling to substitute into the following formula to calculate the one-dimensional far-field radiation pattern:

[0056] a f represents the attenuation factor of energy transmitted in the waveguide, x i represents the position of the slot on the waveguide, k f represents the air wave vector, D s Indicates the waveguide width, A c Re{η} represents the real part of impedance.

[0057] Using the above amplitude sampling to design a one-dimensional array, the state of the sampling function corresponding to each sample is simplified as follows: m(x i ;θ0)=0 cos((k g -k0sinθ0)·x i )<0 m(x i ;θ0)=1 cos((k g -k0sinθ0)·x i )≥0

[0058] By designing different target pointing angles of the beam, and knowing the slow wave vector in the transmission waveguide and the air wave vector in the air, the value of the sampling function is determined by corresponding to different positions, and finally the sampling sequence at each target angle is determined. For example, the antenna provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure includes 64 slot-liquid crystal-patch adjustment pairs (referred to as "patch slot pairs" for short). The sampling sequence for beam pointing designed according to the holographic principle is 101100100..., where "1" indicates that the slot-liquid crystal-patch adjustment pair is in the open state and "0" indicates that the patch slot pair is in the closed state. If the sampling sequence is 101100100..., it means that the first patch slot pair adjustment pair is in the open state, the second patch slot pair adjustment pair is in the closed state, the third and fourth patch slot pairs are in the open state, the fifth and sixth patch slot pairs are in the closed state, and so on. Therefore, by controlling the state of the patch slot pairs in the antenna to, for example, 101100100..., the antenna can receive or transmit electromagnetic waves directed by the beam.

[0059] The structure of the antenna provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is described below with reference to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B .

[0060] FIG1A shows a schematic diagram of an antenna 100 provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 1A , the antenna 100 includes a first substrate 101 , a second substrate 102 , a liquid crystal layer 103 , and a plurality of patch slot pairs 104 .

[0062] The second substrate 102 is disposed opposite to the first substrate 101 . The liquid crystal layer 103 is located between the second substrate 102 and the first substrate 101 .

[0063] Each of the multiple patch gap pairs 104 includes a patch 114 arranged on the first side of the first substrate 101 and a gap structure 124 arranged on the second side of the second substrate 102. The first side of the first substrate 101 is the side of the first substrate 101 close to the second substrate 102, and the second side of the second substrate 102 is the side of the second substrate 102 close to the first substrate 101.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 1A , the antenna 100 includes a plurality of antenna units 110 , and each antenna unit 110 includes one of a plurality of patch slot pairs 104 and liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer 103 located between the one of the plurality of patch slot pairs 104 .

[0065] The multiple antenna units include multiple receiving units Rx and multiple transmitting units Tx. The multiple receiving units Rx are configured to receive electromagnetic waves in a first frequency band; the multiple transmitting units Tx are configured to transmit electromagnetic waves in a second frequency band.

[0066] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple receiving units Rx and multiple transmitting units Tx are located on the same plane, and the patch gap pairs of each of the multiple receiving units and the patch gap pairs of each of the multiple transmitting units are different from each other in at least one of the length of the patch, the width of the patch, the length of the slit in the gap structure, and the width of the slit.

[0067] The antenna 100 designs the sizes of the receiving unit Rx and the transmitting unit Tx so that the receiving unit Rx and the transmitting unit Tx can operate in different frequency bands on the same plane, thereby simplifying the complexity of the antenna design and making the antenna more compact and portable.

[0068] As shown in FIG1A , for example, in antenna 100, first substrate 101 is located above second substrate 102. The lower surface of first substrate 101 is close to the upper surface of second substrate 102, that is, the lower surface of first substrate 101 is the first side of the first substrate, and the upper surface of second substrate 102 is the second side of second substrate 102.

[0069] The area of ​​the first substrate 101 may be the same as that of the second substrate 102 , or the area of ​​the second substrate 102 may be larger than that of the first substrate 101 as in the example of FIG. 1A .

[0070] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102 are, for example, dielectric substrates, and the material of the dielectric substrates is, for example, glass, ceramic, etc.

[0071] For example, the patch is located on the lower surface of the first substrate 101, and the slit structure 124 is located on the upper surface of the second substrate 102. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the patch 114 includes metal, such as copper, iron, aluminum, zinc, etc. The slit structure 124 includes, for example, metal and slits etched in the metal.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the patch 114 of each patch-slit pair and the slit of the slit structure 124 are disposed opposite to each other. For example, the patch 114 is located above the slit in the slit structure 124 .

[0073] As shown in FIG1A , if no voltage is applied to the patch gap pair, the liquid crystal molecules do not deflect, but if a voltage is applied to the patch gap pair, the liquid crystal molecules deflect.

[0074] As shown in Figure 1A, the liquid crystal layer 103 includes a sealant 113, liquid crystals 123, and spacers 133. The sealant 113 is used to bond the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102 together while maintaining a certain gap to seal the liquid crystals 123 and prevent the ingress of heat, moisture, and dust. The spacers 133 provide support, creating a space between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102 to accommodate the liquid crystals.

[0075] In the example of FIG. 1A , for example, antenna 100 includes a liquid crystal cavity structure of glass, copper (forming a gap), a liquid crystal layer, copper (forming a patch), and glass.

[0076] The tunable capacitance formed between the patch and the slot structure changes the position of the resonance peak, enabling tuning of microwave radiation energy at different frequencies. The two different resonant units, the receiving unit and the transmitting unit, are optimized and placed on the same array. By tuning the liquid crystal states of the receiving and transmitting resonant units, dynamic control of the beams of the receiving and transmitting units can be achieved separately or simultaneously.

[0077] FIG1B shows a schematic diagram of another antenna unit 200 provided according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] As shown in Figure 1B , antenna unit 200 includes substrates 201 and 202, which are positioned opposite each other. Substrates 201 and 202 are made of, for example, glass. A patch 203 is provided on the lower surface of substrate 201. The upper surface of substrate 202 includes a slot structure 207, which is comprised of, for example, metal and a slit 204 formed on the metal surface.

[0079] The antenna unit 200 further includes a metal ball 205, which connects the metal of the patch 203 and the slot structure 207 to ensure that the patch 203 and the slot structure 207 are energized. The metal ball 205 is, for example, a copper ball.

[0080] Antenna unit 200 further includes spacer columns 206 for supporting substrates 201 and 202 to form a space for accommodating liquid crystal layer 208. As shown in FIG1B, liquid crystals in liquid crystal layer 208 are distributed between substrates 201 and 202.

[0081] FIG1C shows a schematic structural diagram after voltage is applied to the antenna unit 200 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0082] As shown in FIG1C , voltage is applied to the patch 203 and the slot structure 207. For example, the patch 203 is connected to a high level or a low level, and the slot structure 207 is grounded.

[0083] FIG1B is a schematic structural diagram when no voltage is applied to the patch 203 and the slot structure 207 of the antenna unit 200 .

[0084] As shown in Figures 1B and 1C, after voltage is applied to the patch 203 and the gap structure 207 (i.e., the patch-gap pair), the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer 208 is deflected, so that the equivalent refractive index of the liquid crystal changes, and the tunable capacitance formed by the patch 203 and the gap structure 207 changes, thereby changing the position of the resonance peak and achieving tuning of microwave radiation energy at different frequencies.

[0085] For example, each gap structure in the plurality of patch gap pairs is connected to a first voltage terminal, each patch in the plurality of patch gap pairs is connected to a second voltage terminal, and a voltage at the first voltage terminal is lower than a voltage at the second voltage terminal.

[0086] For example, the first voltage terminal is grounded, and the second voltage terminal is a positive voltage.

[0087] It should be noted that E in Figures 1B and 1C represents the E plane (also called the "electric plane"), which refers to the direction plane parallel to the direction of the electric field, and H represents the H plane (also called the "magnetic plane"), which refers to the direction plane parallel to the direction of the magnetic field.

[0088] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the size of the patch slot pair of the receiving unit in the multiple antenna units is different from the size of the patch slot pair of the transmitting unit in the multiple antenna units. The size of the patch slot pair includes the size of the patch and the size of the slit (also called "slot") in the slot structure. If the sizes of the patches or slots in two patch slot pairs are different, it means that the sizes of the two patch slot pairs are different. For example, if the slot sizes in two patch slot pairs are the same and the patch sizes are different, then the sizes of the two patch slot pairs are different. For another example, if the slot sizes in two patch slot pairs are different and the patch sizes are also different, then the sizes of the two patch slot pairs are different.

[0089] For example, both the patch and the slit are rectangular, the patch dimensions include the length and width of the patch, and the slit dimensions include the length and width of the slit. As shown in FIG1A , the width direction of the slit and the patch is the X-direction, and the length direction of the slit and the patch is the direction perpendicular to the X-direction, where the X-direction is, for example, a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the slit.

[0090] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the patch or gap may also be in other shapes, such as a circle, etc., and is not limited to a rectangle.

[0091] The size of the patch slot pair affects the operating frequency of the antenna unit. By designing the size of the patch slot pair, the receiving unit operates in the first frequency band to receive electromagnetic waves in the first frequency band, and the transmitting unit operates in the second frequency band to transmit electromagnetic waves in the second frequency band.

[0092] For example, if the frequency of electromagnetic waves in the first frequency band is lower than the frequency of electromagnetic waves in the second frequency band, the patch area of ​​each of the multiple receiving units is larger than the patch area of ​​each of the multiple transmitting units, and the size of the slot structure of each of the multiple receiving units is the same as the size of the slot structure of each of the multiple transmitting units. In this embodiment, the operating frequency of the antenna unit is inversely proportional to the patch area. The slot structures of the receiving unit and the transmitting unit are the same, so only the patch area needs to be changed to make the receiving unit and the transmitting unit operate in the first frequency band and the second frequency band, respectively, which can simplify the complexity of the antenna design.

[0093] For example, multiple receiving units are configured to receive Ku-band electromagnetic waves, and multiple transmitting units are configured to send Ku-band electromagnetic waves. The lengths of the gap structures of the multiple receiving units and the gap structures of the multiple transmitting units are both 3.6±0.2mm, and the widths of the gap structures of the multiple receiving units and the gap structures of the multiple transmitting units are both 0.4±0.1mm; the lengths of the patches of the multiple receiving units are 0.7±0.1mm, and the widths of the patches of the multiple receiving units are 0.5±0.1mm. The lengths of the patches of the multiple transmitting units are 0.6±0.1mm, and the widths of the patches of the multiple transmitting units are 0.4±0.1mm.

[0094] For the Ku band, the receive frequency is 10.5 to 12.75 GHz and the transmit band is 13.75 to 14.5 GHz.

[0095] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to Ku-band electromagnetic waves. Those skilled in the art can, for example, obtain the sizes of patch gap pairs corresponding to other bands (for example, Ka-band, C-band, etc.) through simulation.

[0096] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the length range of each slit in the multiple slit structures is [2mm, 4.4mm], the width range of each slit in the multiple slit structures is [0.16mm, 0.5mm], the length range of each of the multiple patches is [0.5mm, 0.7mm], and the width range of each of the multiple patches is [0.16mm, 0.5mm].

[0097] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple receiving units and multiple transmitting units are located on the same plane, but the areas occupied by the multiple receiving units and the areas occupied by the multiple transmitting units are independent of each other. That is, the multiple receiving units and the multiple transmitting units use different aperture planes.

[0098] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple receiving units and multiple transmitting units are located on the same plane, and the multiple receiving units and the multiple transmitting units are arranged along the plane respectively, and the area occupied by the multiple receiving units roughly overlaps with the area occupied by the multiple transmitting units. In other words, the multiple receiving units and the multiple transmitting units share the same aperture surface. Receiving units and transmitting units with different operating frequency bands sharing the same aperture surface can save antenna aperture and reduce the aperture surface, thereby being applied to scenarios with tight aperture resources (for example, satellites).

[0099] For example, the area occupied by multiple receiving units and the area occupied by multiple transmitting units roughly overlap, which means that multiple receiving units are evenly distributed on the plane, and multiple transmitting units are also evenly distributed on the plane, so that multiple receiving units and multiple transmitting units share the aperture surface corresponding to the plane.

[0100] For another example, "the area occupied by multiple receiving units substantially overlaps with the area occupied by multiple transmitting units" means that the area occupied by the multiple receiving units and the area occupied by the multiple transmitting units intersect. For example, in the case where the array is arranged in the order of one column of receiving units and one column of transmitting units, the number of columns of transmitting units and the number of columns of receiving units can be the same or differ by one or two columns.

[0101] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple receiving units include multiple receiving groups, each of the multiple receiving groups includes at least one adjacent receiving unit, multiple transmitting units include multiple transmitting groups, each of the multiple transmitting groups includes at least one adjacent transmitting unit, and the multiple receiving groups and the multiple transmitting groups are arranged alternately.

[0102] For example, N adjacent receiving units among the multiple receiving units form a receiving group, and M adjacent transmitting units among the multiple transmitting units form a transmitting group. The receiving groups and the transmitting groups are arranged alternately, and N and M are positive integers.

[0103] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple antenna elements are arranged in a one-dimensional array, with the multiple receiving groups and the multiple transmitting groups arranged alternately in a first direction. That is, the multiple antenna elements are arranged along a first direction, with the receiving groups and the transmitting groups arranged alternately in the first direction. In other words, the multiple antenna elements are arranged alternately in one dimension.

[0104] For example, N = 1, M = 1, meaning one receiving unit constitutes one receiving group, one transmitting unit constitutes one transmitting group, and the receiving units and transmitting units can be arranged alternately in one dimension. In other words, in this embodiment, the receiving units and transmitting units are arranged alternately. For example, the arrangement of antenna 100 is shown in FIG1A .

[0105] For another example, N = 2, M = 1, that is, 2 receiving units form a receiving group, and 1 transmitting unit forms a transmitting group, and the receiving groups and transmitting groups can be arranged alternately in one dimension. In this embodiment, the multiple antenna units are arranged in one dimension as 2 receiving units, 1 transmitting unit, 2 receiving units, 1 transmitting unit, and so on; or as 1 transmitting unit, 2 receiving units, 1 transmitting unit, 2 receiving units, and so on.

[0106] The values ​​of N and M can be determined based on the required bands. For example, if an antenna needs to receive electromagnetic waves in the 10.7-12.75 band, and a single receiving unit in a receiving group cannot cover the 10.7-12.75 band, then a receiving group can be configured to include two receiving units to cover the 10.7-12.75 band.

[0107] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, such as those in which multiple antenna elements are arranged in a one-dimensional direction, the antenna further includes a waveguide 210. The waveguide 210 is located on a third side of the second substrate 202, away from the first substrate 201. The first end of the waveguide 210 includes an excitation port 211 configured to feed electromagnetic waves. The second end of the waveguide 210 includes an absorber 212 configured to absorb electromagnetic waves. The first and second ends are arranged opposite each other in the first direction. That is, the receiving groups and the transmitting groups are arranged alternately in a direction from the first end of the waveguide to the second end of the waveguide.

[0108] For example, the excitation port 211 is located at the left end of the waveguide 210. Electromagnetic waves are fed through the left end of the waveguide 210, enter the microcavity of the waveguide 210, and interact with the liquid crystal cavity structure. Of course, the excitation port 211 can also be located at the right end of the waveguide 210. The present disclosure does not limit the location of the excitation port.

[0109] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the absorbing component 212 can be a load or made of an absorbing material. Examples of the absorbing material include graphene, graphite, carbon black, carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes, and the like. For example, if the slot structure 207 is grounded and the patch 203 is connected to a high or low voltage, a portion of the electromagnetic wave couples energy outward through the liquid crystal cavity structure, while a portion is absorbed by the right-end load to prevent reflection from affecting the reference wave (i.e., the incident wave within the microcavity).

[0110] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple receiving units and multiple transmitting units may be arranged in an array. For example, receiving groups and transmitting groups are alternately arranged in a first direction to form multiple antenna unit rows, and the multiple antenna unit rows are arranged in a second direction that intersects the first direction.

[0111] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, N = 1 and M = 1, meaning one receiving unit constitutes one receiving group and one transmitting unit constitutes one transmitting group, with the receiving units and transmitting units arranged alternately on the antenna unit rows. In other words, in this embodiment, the receiving units and transmitting units are arranged alternately within each antenna unit row. The alternation of receiving units and transmitting units in different antenna unit rows can be the same or different.

[0112] For example, each row of antenna units is arranged in an alternating manner of receiving unit, transmitting unit, receiving unit, transmitting unit... and so on; or some rows of antenna units are arranged in an alternating manner of receiving unit, transmitting unit, receiving unit, transmitting unit... and so on, and other rows of antenna units are arranged in an alternating manner of transmitting unit, receiving unit, transmitting unit, receiving unit... and so on.

[0113] For another example, each of the multiple receiving groups includes two receiving units, and each of the multiple transmitting groups includes one transmitting unit, i.e., N=2, M=1, i.e., two receiving units constitute one receiving group, and one transmitting unit constitutes one transmitting group. In this embodiment, the receiving units and transmitting units in the multiple antenna unit rows are arranged in the following manner: two receiving units, one transmitting unit, two receiving units, one transmitting unit, and so on; or one transmitting unit, two receiving units, one transmitting unit, two receiving units, and so on.

[0114] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of an array arrangement of multiple antenna units provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0115] As shown in FIG2 , the first direction is, for example, the X direction. The receiving group and the transmitting group are alternately arranged in the X direction to form antenna unit rows. Multiple antenna unit rows are arranged in the Y direction to form an antenna unit array.

[0116] For example, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular, or the first direction and the second direction may intersect at other angles. The present disclosure does not limit the intersection angle between the first direction and the second direction.

[0117] As shown in Figure 2, for example, the antenna unit structure is antenna unit 110 shown in Figure 1A. Below antenna unit 110 are parallel metal plates 301, which serve as waveguides. The below of antenna unit 110 refers to the side of the second substrate away from the first substrate.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 2 , the antenna further includes a feeding probe 302 . The feeding probe 302 is connected to the second substrate and is located in the middle of the second substrate in both the first direction and the second direction.

[0119] As shown in FIG2 , in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the length directions of the slots of each antenna unit may be the same, for example, the slots of multiple antenna units may be parallel.

[0120] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the distance between adjacent receiving units and transmitting units is in the range of [2 mm, 3 mm]. For example, the distance between adjacent receiving units and transmitting units is 2.5 mm, which at least partially avoids mutual interference between the receiving units and the transmitting units.

[0121] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, each slot structure includes a separation wall, which serves to isolate two adjacent antenna elements. As shown in Figure 3 below, for example, two rows of air holes are etched on either side of the slot to form the separation wall. Due to the subwavelength spacing between array antenna elements, two rows of air holes are etched on either side of the slot to reduce mutual interference.

[0122] FIG3 shows a simulation diagram of a resonance peak of a scattering parameter before and after adding an isolation wall, provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0123] Scattering (S) parameters have always occupied a crucial position in microwave theory and technology. They include, for example, input matching parameters (S11), output matching parameters (S22), gain / loss parameters (S21), and isolation parameters (S12). For more information on these S parameters, please refer to the relevant literature. In the example shown in Figure 3, the gain / loss parameter (S21) is simulated to observe the changes in the resonant peak before and after the isolation wall is added.

[0124] As shown in Figure 3, the scattering parameter S21 shows that before the isolation wall was added, the resonance peak was split, including radiation energy curve 301 and radiation energy curve 302. After the isolation wall was added, the resonance peak was unified into radiation energy region 303. In other words, the resonance peak changed from being split to being a single peak before and after the isolation wall was added. This shift from a split resonance peak to a single peak indicates that the isolation wall can eliminate crosstalk between gaps.

[0125] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple antenna units are arranged as P rows and Q columns, each row of antenna units is connected to at least one phase shifter, at least one phase shifter is used for beam control in the column direction, and P rows of antenna units are used for beam control in the row direction.

[0126] FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of a two-dimensional co-aperture beam steering antenna provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0127] As shown in Figure 4 , the antenna is arranged in an array, with Q antenna elements forming an antenna element row, which is used to control beam steering in the X direction. For example, each antenna element row is implemented using the one-dimensional holographic dynamic antenna shown in Figure 1A .

[0128] For example, the antenna includes P antenna element rows arranged perpendicular to the antenna element rows. The antenna also includes P phase shifters, with each antenna element row connected to a phase shifter 410. The P phase shifters 410 are used to control beam steering in the Y direction.

[0129] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple antenna units are arranged in an array, and the angle between the slot length direction of the slot structure of each row of antenna units and the row direction is 45°, and the angle between the slot length directions of the slot structures on adjacent rows is 90°.

[0130] FIG5 shows a schematic diagram of another antenna provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0131] As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, multiple antenna units are arranged in an array, with the row direction being, for example, the horizontal X direction. The angle between the slots of the slot structure of each row of antenna units and the row direction is 45°, and the angle between the slots of the slot structures in adjacent rows is 90°.

[0132] This structure can realize circularly polarized transmission and reception. In order to ensure that the amplitudes of electromagnetic waves radiated by the antenna units are equal, the angle between the slots of the slot structures on adjacent rows is 90° (ie, the phase difference is 90° or -90°).

[0133] In this embodiment, the overall structure of the patch slot pairs is deflected by 45° relative to the center line (i.e., X direction). For example, one of two adjacent rows of patch slot pairs is rotated 45° counterclockwise relative to the center line, and the other row is rotated 45° clockwise relative to the center line.

[0134] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, left-right circular polarization conversion can be achieved by sampling and designing the gap pairs of two adjacent rows of patches.

[0135] As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, the longitudinal distance between the center of a slot and the center of a waveguide is 1 / 4 of the wavelength λg transmitted by the waveguide; in the transverse direction, the transverse distance between the center of a slot and the center of an adjacent slot is 1 / 4 of the wavelength λg transmitted by the waveguide. The longitudinal direction refers to the perpendicular direction between the second substrate and the first substrate, and the transverse direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In some examples, the transverse direction is, for example, the X direction in Figure 2, and the longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the array plane (i.e., the plane formed by the X and Y directions) on which the antenna is located.

[0136] FIG6 shows a sampling sequence and a far-field radiation energy diagram when the target angle of the beam is 0°, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0137] Figure 6 (a) shows the left-handed circular polarization (LHCP) case. The sampling sequence for Row 1, the first of two adjacent antenna element rows, is 01010101010, and so on. The sampling sequence for Row 2, the second row, is 0101010101, and so on. (b) shows the far-field radiation energy diagram for LHCP with a pointing angle of 0°. Row 1 and Row 2 can be any two adjacent antenna element rows.

[0138] Figure 6 (c) shows the sampling sequence of two adjacent antenna element rows, Row 1, for right-handed circular polarization (RHCP). The sampling sequence for Row 1 is 01010101010, and so on. The sampling sequence for Row 2 is 01010101010, and so on. Figure 6 (d) shows the far-field radiation energy diagram for right-handed circular polarization with a pointing angle of 0°.

[0139] In (a) and (c) shown in Figure 6, the horizontal coordinates are the position coordinates of the antenna unit, 0 indicates that the antenna unit is in the off state, and 1 indicates that the antenna unit is in the on state; in (b) and (d) shown in Figure 6, the horizontal coordinates are the pointing angles, and the vertical coordinates are the far-field radiation energy.

[0140] FIG. 7 shows a diagram of radiation energy distribution under two liquid crystal molecular states provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0141] As shown in FIG7 , curve 701 is the refractive index ξ of the liquid crystal. LC is the radiation energy distribution curve at 2.4; curve 701 is the refractive index ξ of the liquid crystal LC This is the radiated energy distribution curve for the 3.6 state. In this distribution graph, the horizontal axis is the resonant frequency Freq (GHz), and the vertical axis is the radiated energy.

[0142] The Rx / Tx co-aperture unit radiates energy at two different gaps when the liquid crystal refractive index is 2.4 and 3.6, respectively, representing the minimum and maximum values. In the intermediate state of the liquid crystal (refractive index between 2.4 and 3.6), the resonance peak shifts within two extreme control ranges. By exploiting the shift in the resonance peak in different liquid crystal states, the energy radiation ratio within the corresponding frequency range can be controlled, achieving a switching function and, combined with holographic algorithms, beam steering.

[0143] FIG8A shows a far-field radiation pattern of a receiving unit provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0144] The far-field radiation pattern shown in FIG8A is obtained when the receiving unit operates at a frequency of 11.3 GHz and the beam pointing angle is 40°. In the far-field radiation pattern, the horizontal axis is the angle θ, and the vertical axis is the far-field radiation energy.

[0145] As shown in FIG8A , in the far-field radiation energy diagram, the far-field radiation energy is strongest in the direction of the pointing angle of 40°.

[0146] FIG8B is a schematic diagram showing a working state of the receiving unit shown in FIG8A provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0147] The sampling sequence based on the situation in FIG. 8A is shown in FIG. 8B below, that is, the sampling sequence is 000001111100000111110000011111, where “0” represents an off state and “1” represents an on state.

[0148] The operating frequency of the multiple receiving units is 11.3 GHz, and their working states are shown in the shaded portion of FIG8B . For the receiving units, when the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal is 2.4, they are set to the on state, and when the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal is 3.6, they are set to the off state.

[0149] For example, a voltage is applied to the receiving units so that the sampling sequence of the plurality of receiving units is 000001111100000111110000011111, and no voltage is applied to the transmitting units.

[0150] FIG8C shows a schematic diagram of radiation energy of the antenna unit shown in FIG8B provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0151] As shown in FIG8C , the radiation energy at the position corresponding to the receiving unit in the working state is very strong, and the radiation energy at the position corresponding to the receiving unit in the closed state is weak; the radiation energy at all positions corresponding to the non-working transmitting unit is very weak.

[0152] Figure 9A shows a far-field radiation pattern of a transmitting unit provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the directional angle in the beam pointing can generally be, for example, 0° or 180°, so in the following, the beam pointing angle (degrees) specifically refers to the pitch angle.

[0153] The far-field radiation pattern shown in Figure 9A is obtained when the transmitting unit operates at a frequency of 13.8 GHz and the beam pointing angle is 30° (i.e., the elevation angle is 30°). In this far-field radiation pattern, the horizontal axis is the angle and the vertical axis is the radiation energy.

[0154] As shown in FIG9A , in the far-field radiation energy diagram, the far-field radiation energy is strongest in the direction of the pointing angle of 30°.

[0155] FIG9B is a schematic diagram showing a working state of the transmitting unit shown in FIG9A provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0156] The sampling sequence based on the situation in FIG. 9A is shown in FIG. 9B , that is, the sampling sequence is 00011100011100011100011100011, where “0” represents an off state and “1” represents an on state.

[0157] The operating frequency of multiple transmitting units is 13.8 GHz, and their working state is shown in the shaded portion in FIG9B . For the transmitting unit, when the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal is 2.4, it is set to the on state, and when the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal is 3.6, it is set to the off state.

[0158] For example, voltage is applied to the transmitting units so that the sampling sequence of the plurality of transmitting units is 00011100011100011100011100011, and no voltage is applied to the transmitting units.

[0159] FIG9C shows a schematic diagram of radiation energy of the antenna unit shown in FIG9B provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0160] As shown in FIG9C , the radiation energy at the position corresponding to the transmitting unit in the working state is very strong, and the radiation energy at the position corresponding to the transmitting unit in the off state is weak; the radiation energy at all positions corresponding to the receiving unit not working is very weak.

[0161] FIG10A shows a far-field radiation pattern of a receiving unit and a transmitting unit operating simultaneously, provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0162] As shown in FIG10A , when multiple receiving units and multiple transmitting units are working simultaneously, the far-field radiation energy of the receiving unit is strongest in the direction of a pointing angle of 40°; the far-field radiation energy of the transmitting unit is strongest in the direction of a pointing angle of 30°.

[0163] Therefore, by combining FIG8B with FIG9B , beam steering can be performed in the receiving frequency band and the transmitting frequency band respectively. It can be seen that the simultaneous operation of multiple receiving units and multiple transmitting units is basically the same as the individual operation, and they are not affected by each other.

[0164] FIG10B is a schematic diagram showing the working states of liquid crystal corresponding to different frequencies provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0165] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the antenna structure can also be applied to other frequency bands for operation, such as 9.4GHz-9.6GHz, 10.2GHz-10.35GHz, 10.6GHz-10.8GHz, 11.2GHz-11.4GHz, 11.8GHz-12.0GHz, 12.6GHz-12.8GHz, 13.0GHz-13.2GHz, 13.8GHz-14.0GHz, etc. As shown in FIG10B , by designing the on and off states within the corresponding frequency bands, beam steering within different frequency ranges can be achieved. In FIG10B , 'off' indicates the off state, and 'on' indicates the on state.

[0166] For example, for an antenna unit operating in the 9.4GHz-9.6GHz range, if the liquid crystal refractive index is controlled to be 3.6, the antenna unit is in the on state; if the liquid crystal refractive index is controlled to be 2.4, the antenna unit is in the off state. For another example, for an antenna unit operating in the 10.6GHz-10.8GHz range, if the liquid crystal refractive index is controlled to be 3.6, the antenna unit is in the off state; if the liquid crystal refractive index is controlled to be 2.4, the antenna unit is in the on state. Those skilled in the art can control the operating state of the antenna unit by controlling the liquid crystal refractive index based on the operating frequency band of the antenna unit. The liquid crystal refractive index can be adjusted between 2.4 and 3.6, for example.

[0167] Figure 11 shows a schematic diagram of achieving full band coverage for a receiving unit and a transmitting unit, provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. In Figure 11 , the horizontal axis represents the frequency Freq (GHz) of the electromagnetic wave, and the vertical axis represents the gain / loss parameter (S21) in the scattering parameter.

[0168] As shown in Figure 11, three sets of patch slot pairs are used to achieve reception and transmission of the entire Ku-band. The three sets of patch slot pairs refer to two sets of patch slot pairs for receiving Ku-band electromagnetic waves and one set of patch slot pairs for transmitting Ku-band electromagnetic waves, that is, N = 2, M = 1. Of the two sets of patch slot pairs used for receiving Ku-band electromagnetic waves, one patch slot pair RxL is used to receive low-band RxL (for example, 10.5 GHz to 11.7 GHz), and the other patch slot pair RxH is used to receive high-band RxH (for example, 11.7 GHz to 12.75 GHz).

[0169] The operating frequency of the patch slot pair Tx used to transmit Ku-band electromagnetic waves is (13.75GHz to 14.5GHz). Since the Ku-band transmission frequency range is relatively narrow, a single set of patch slot pairs Tx can achieve coverage.

[0170] In the embodiment shown in FIG11 , full coverage of receiving and transmitting the entire band is achieved through two sets of patch slot pairs for receiving Ku-band electromagnetic waves and one set of patch slot pairs for transmitting Ku-band electromagnetic waves.

[0171] Figure 12A shows a schematic diagram of the state change of liquid crystal continuous tuning within the low-band RxL range provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. In Figure 12A, the horizontal axis is the frequency Freq (GHz) of the electromagnetic wave, and the vertical axis is the gain / loss parameter (S21) in the scattering parameter.

[0172] The multiple curves in FIG12A are radiant energy distribution diagrams of the scattering parameter S for various refractive indices of the liquid crystal ranging from 2.45 to 3.5. From left to right, the multiple curves are radiant energy distribution diagrams of the scattering parameter S for various refractive indices of the liquid crystal ranging from 3.5 to 2.45.

[0173] For example, curve 12-1 shows the relationship between the radiation energy of the scattering parameter S and the frequency of the electromagnetic wave when the refractive index of the liquid crystal is 3.5, and curve 12-2 shows the relationship between the radiation energy of the scattering parameter S and the frequency of the electromagnetic wave when the refractive index of the liquid crystal is 2.45.

[0174] Figure 12B shows the far-field radiation pattern of a continuous operation signal within the low-band RxL band (11.4-11.7 GHz) provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 12B includes four figures (a) through (d), where the horizontal axes represent the pointing angle and the vertical axes represent the radiation energy value.

[0175] As shown in Figure 12B (a), radiation energy curve 1201 shows the radiation energy curve at an operating frequency of 11.66 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°; radiation energy curve 1202 shows the radiation energy curve at an operating frequency of 11.69 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°; and radiation energy curve 1203 shows the radiation energy curve at an operating frequency of 11.72 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°. In this diagram, the maximum radiation energy is at point m1, with coordinates of (-0.0200, 6.8548). That is, the radiation energy at a directivity angle of -0.02° for m1 is 6.8548 dB.

[0176] As shown in (b) of Figure 12B, the radiation energy curve 1204 is the radiation energy curve when the operating frequency is 11.5 GHz and the directivity angle is 0°; the radiation energy curve 1205 is the radiation energy curve when the operating frequency is 11.53 GHz and the directivity angle is 0°; the radiation energy curve 1206 is the radiation energy curve when the operating frequency is 11.56 GHz and the directivity angle is 0°; the radiation energy curve 1207 is the radiation energy curve when the operating frequency is 11.59 GHz and the directivity angle is 0°; the radiation energy curve 1208 is the radiation energy curve when the operating frequency is 11.62 GHz and the directivity angle is 0°; the radiation energy curve 1209 is the radiation energy curve when the operating frequency is 11.65 GHz and the directivity angle is 0°; and the radiation energy curve 1210 is the radiation energy curve when the operating frequency is 11.68 GHz and the directivity angle is 0°. In this diagram, the maximum point of radiation energy is m2, and the coordinate value of m2 is (-0.0200, 7.1740), that is, the radiation energy at the pointing angle of m2 of -0.02° is 7.1740DB.

[0177] As shown in (c) of Figure 12B , radiation energy curve 1211 is the radiation energy curve for an operating frequency of 11.4 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°; radiation energy curve 1212 is the radiation energy curve for an operating frequency of 11.42 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°; radiation energy curve 1213 is the radiation energy curve for an operating frequency of 11.44 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°; radiation energy curve 1214 is the radiation energy curve for an operating frequency of 11.46 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°; radiation energy curve 1215 is the radiation energy curve for an operating frequency of 11.48 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°; and radiation energy curve 1216 is the radiation energy curve for an operating frequency of 11.5 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°. In this diagram, the maximum radiation energy is at point m3, whose coordinates are (-0.79, 6.7014). That is, the radiation energy at m3's directivity angle of 0.79° is 6.7014 dB.

[0178] As shown in (d) of Figure 12B , radiation energy curve 1217 is the radiation energy curve for an operating frequency of 11.5 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°; radiation energy curve 1218 is the radiation energy curve for an operating frequency of 11.53 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°; radiation energy curve 1219 is the radiation energy curve for an operating frequency of 11.56 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°; radiation energy curve 1220 is the radiation energy curve for an operating frequency of 11.62 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°; radiation energy curve 1221 is the radiation energy curve for an operating frequency of 11.65 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°; and radiation energy curve 1222 is the radiation energy curve for an operating frequency of 11.68 GHz and a directivity angle of 0°. In this diagram, the maximum radiation energy is at point m4, whose coordinates are (-0.0200, 7.1362). That is, the radiation energy at m3's directivity angle of 0.02° is 7.1362 dB.

[0179] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a communication method, applicable to the antenna provided in any embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication method includes obtaining the beam pointing direction of a beam to be generated; generating a sampling sequence for multiple antenna elements based on the beam pointing direction, where the sampling sequence is a sequence of liquid crystal states of the multiple antenna elements; and controlling the liquid crystal deflection angles of the multiple antenna elements based on the sampling sequence to communicate using the antenna. This communication method can simultaneously control the beam pointing direction of both the receiving and transmitting elements, making antenna control more convenient.

[0180] FIG13 shows a flowchart of a communication method provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0181] As shown in FIG13 , the communication method includes steps S1301 to S1303 .

[0182] Step S1301: Obtain the beam direction of the beam to be generated.

[0183] Step S1302: Generate sampling sequences of multiple antenna units according to beam pointing, where the sampling sequences correspond to state sequences of the multiple antenna units.

[0184] Step S1303: According to the sampling sequence, the liquid crystal deflection angles of the plurality of antenna units are controlled to utilize antenna communication.

[0185] In step S1301, the beam direction is set by those skilled in the art according to actual needs, such as 40°, 30°, etc.

[0186] For step S1302, for example, sampling sequences of multiple antenna units are obtained according to the aforementioned holographic principle. Please refer to the above description for the holographic principle.

[0187] In step S1303, for example, the liquid crystal deflection angles of the multiple antenna units are controlled based on the on or off state of each receiving unit indicated by the sampling sequence. For example, if the operating frequency of the receiving unit is 11.3 GHz and the sampling sequence determines that the operating state of a receiving unit is on, the liquid crystal deflection angle can be controlled so that the refractive index of the liquid crystal is 2.4, thereby turning the receiving unit on.

[0188] There are a few points to note:

[0189] (1) The drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure only relate to the structures involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other structures may refer to conventional designs.

[0190] (2) In the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present disclosure and the features therein may be combined with each other to form new embodiments.

[0191] The above description is only a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The protection scope of the present disclosure shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An antenna, comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate, arranged opposite to the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer, located between the first substrate and the second substrate; as well as A plurality of patch-slit pairs, each patch-slit pair comprising a patch disposed on a first side of the first substrate and a slot structure disposed on a second side of the second substrate, wherein the first side is a side close to the second substrate, and the second side is a side close to the first substrate; The antenna comprises a plurality of antenna units, each antenna unit comprises one of the plurality of patch gap pairs and a liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer located between the plurality of patch gap pairs. The plurality of antenna units include: A plurality of receiving units configured to receive electromagnetic waves in a first frequency band; The multiple transmitting units are configured to transmit electromagnetic waves in a second frequency band, and the multiple receiving units and the multiple transmitting units are located on the same plane.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: In the patch gap pair of each of the multiple receiving units and the patch gap pair of each of the multiple transmitting units, at least one of the length of the patch, the width of the patch, the length of the slit in the gap structure and the width of the slit is different from each other.

3. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The multiple receiving units and the multiple transmitting units are arranged along the plane respectively, and the areas occupied by the multiple receiving units are substantially overlapped with the areas occupied by the multiple transmitting units.

4. The antenna according to claim 3, wherein: The multiple receiving units and the multiple transmitting units share the same aperture plane.

5. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The multiple receiving units include multiple receiving groups, each of the multiple receiving groups includes at least one of the adjacently arranged receiving units, the multiple transmitting units include multiple transmitting groups, each of the multiple transmitting groups includes at least one of the adjacently arranged transmitting units, and the multiple receiving groups and the multiple transmitting groups are alternately arranged.

6. The antenna according to claim 5, wherein: The multiple antenna units are arranged in a one-dimensional array, and the multiple receiving groups and the multiple transmitting groups are alternately arranged in a first direction.

7. The antenna according to claim 6, further comprising a waveguide, wherein the waveguide is located on a third side of the second substrate away from the first substrate, wherein a first end of the waveguide comprises an excitation port, wherein the excitation port is configured to feed electromagnetic waves, and a second end of the waveguide comprises an absorbing component, wherein the absorbing component is configured to absorb the electromagnetic waves, and the first end and the second end are arranged opposite to each other in the first direction.

8. The antenna according to claim 5, wherein: The multiple receiving groups and the multiple transmitting groups are alternately arranged in a first direction to form a plurality of antenna unit rows, and the plurality of antenna unit rows are arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction. 9 . The antenna according to claim 8 , further comprising a feeding probe connected to the second substrate and located in the middle of the second substrate in both the first direction and the second direction.

10. The antenna according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein: Each of the plurality of receiving groups includes two of the receiving units, and each of the plurality of transmitting groups includes one of the transmitting units.

11. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The frequency of the electromagnetic waves in the first frequency band is lower than the frequency of the electromagnetic waves in the second frequency band, the patch area of ​​each of the multiple receiving units is larger than the patch area of ​​each of the multiple transmitting units, and the slit size of the slot structure of each of the multiple receiving units is the same as the slit size of the slot structure of each of the multiple transmitting units.

12. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The length range of each slit in the plurality of slit structures is [2 mm, 4.4 mm], the width range of each slit in the plurality of slit structures is [0.16 mm, 0.5 mm], The length of each of the plurality of patches is in the range of [0.5 mm, 0.7 mm], and the width of each of the plurality of patches is in the range of [0.16 mm, 0.5 mm].

13. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: The plurality of receiving units are configured to receive electromagnetic waves in the Ku band, and the plurality of transmitting units are configured to send electromagnetic waves in the Ku band. The lengths of the slot structures of the multiple receiving units and the slot structures of the multiple transmitting units are both 3.6±0.2 mm, and the widths of the slot structures of the multiple receiving units and the slot structures of the multiple transmitting units are both 0.4±0.1 mm; The length of the patches of the multiple receiving units is 0.7±0.1 mm, the width of the patches of the multiple receiving units is 0.5±0.1 mm, The length of the patch of the multiple emitting units is 0.6±0.1 mm, and the width of the patch of the multiple emitting units is 0.4±0.1 mm.

14. The antenna according to claim 5, wherein: The distance between adjacent receiving units and transmitting units ranges from [2mm, 3mm].

15. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein: Each slot structure includes a separation wall configured to separate two adjacent antenna units.

16. The antenna according to claim 15, wherein: The isolation wall is provided with air holes.

17. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein: The multiple antenna units are arranged in P rows and Q columns, each row of antenna units is connected to at least one phase shifter, the at least one phase shifter is used for beam control in the column direction, and each row of antenna units is used for beam control in the row direction.

18. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein: The angle between the slot length direction of the slot structure of each row of antenna units and the row direction is 45°, and the angle between the slot length directions of the slot structures on adjacent rows is 90°.

19. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein: Each gap structure in the plurality of patch gap pairs is connected to a first voltage terminal, and each patch in the plurality of patch gap pairs is connected to a second voltage terminal. The voltage of the first voltage terminal is lower than the voltage of the second voltage terminal.

20. A communication method, applied to the antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 19, the method comprising: Obtaining the beam direction of the beam to be generated; Generate a sampling sequence of the multiple antenna units according to the beam pointing, wherein the sampling sequence corresponds to a state sequence of the multiple antenna units; as well as According to the sampling sequence, the liquid crystal deflection angles of the plurality of antenna units are controlled to communicate using the antennas.

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