Intelligent metasurface unit, antenna, communication equipment and preparation method of antenna

Abstract

The invention provides an intelligent metasurface unit which comprises a first conducting layer, a dielectric layer and a second conducting layer, the first conducting layer is located on the first surface of the dielectric layer, the second conducting layer is located on the second surface of the dielectric layer, and the second surface is the surface opposite to the first surface; the shape of the first conductive layer comprises a first shape and a second shape, the first shape is a centrosymmetric pattern, the second shape extends outwards along the edge of the first shape, and the second shape is in a radial shape. The invention also provides an intelligent metasurface antenna, communication equipment and a preparation method of the intelligent metasurface antenna. According to the invention, the problems of high process complexity and high processing cost caused by the adoption of an ion etching preparation process or a photoetching preparation process in related technologies are at least solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technologies, and particularly to an intelligent metasurface unit, an antenna, a communication device, and a preparation method for an intelligent metasurface antenna. Background Art

[0002] An intelligent metasurface antenna is an antenna array composed of sub-wavelength units, which has extraordinary electromagnetic characteristics not possessed by ordinary materials and is usually used to precisely control incident electromagnetic waves. By controlling the electromagnetic response characteristics of each unit, intelligent metasurface units in different digital states can be obtained. Different intelligent metasurface units are arranged according to a certain precoding sequence to form a two-dimensional intelligent metasurface. The precoding sequence controls the shape, size, direction, etc. of the output electromagnetic beam to achieve the performance optimization objectives of the base station and intelligent metasurface joint deployment system, including coverage enhancement, capacity improvement, and energy consumption reduction. At the same time, terahertz intelligent metasurfaces have broad application prospects in the fields of sensing imaging and mobile communication.

[0003] In the deployment of future communication systems, static intelligent metasurface antennas have important positions in communication device antennas because they do not require tuning switches, control circuit boards, controllers, and corresponding power supplies, and have the advantages of energy conservation, environmental protection, convenient deployment, low cost, low profile, strong scalability, and high gain.

[0004] Most traditional static intelligent metasurface antennas use techniques such as ion etching or photolithography, with high process complexity and high processing costs, which are not conducive to production cost control. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides an intelligent metasurface unit, an antenna, a communication device, and a preparation method for an intelligent metasurface antenna.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an intelligent metasurface unit, including a first conductive layer, a dielectric layer, and a second conductive layer. The first conductive layer is located on a first surface of the dielectric layer, and the second conductive layer is located on a second surface of the dielectric layer, where the second surface is a surface opposite to the first surface.

[0007] The shape of the first conductive layer includes a first shape and a second shape. The first shape is a centrosymmetric figure, and the second shape extends outward along the edge of the first shape and is radially arranged.

[0008] In another aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an intelligent metasurface antenna, including a first intelligent metasurface unit and a second intelligent metasurface unit. The first intelligent metasurface unit is the intelligent metasurface unit as described above, and the second intelligent metasurface unit has a different phase from the first intelligent metasurface unit.

[0009] On the other hand, embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a communication device, including the intelligent metasurface antenna as described above.

[0010] On the other hand, embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a method for manufacturing an intelligent metasurface antenna, which is used to manufacture the intelligent metasurface antenna as described above, and the method includes:

[0011] Through a printing process, a pattern of a first conductive layer is formed on a first surface of a dielectric layer, the pattern of the first conductive layer includes a first shape and a second shape, the first shape is a centrosymmetric figure, the second shape extends outward along the edge of the first shape, and the second shape is radial;

[0012] A second conductive layer is formed on a second surface of the dielectric layer, and the second surface is a surface opposite to the first surface.

[0013] The intelligent metasurface unit provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a first conductive layer, a dielectric layer, and a second conductive layer. The first conductive layer is located on the first surface of the dielectric layer, and the second conductive layer is located on the second surface of the dielectric layer. The second surface is a surface opposite to the first surface; the shape of the first conductive layer includes a first shape and a second shape. The first shape is a centrosymmetric figure, the second shape extends outward along the edge of the first shape, and the second shape is radial. The structure of the intelligent metasurface unit is simple. The first shape of the first conductive layer can not only increase the alignment tolerance during the manufacturing process, but also improve the adhesion of the intelligent metasurface unit. Therefore, a certain process tolerance is allowed, and the robustness is high, which can make up for the defects of the printing process. Accordingly, the printing process can be used for manufacturing, reducing the processing cost and complexity, and being easy for large-scale mass production. In addition, the shape of the first conductive layer formed by the combination of the first shape and the second shape can effectively improve the working bandwidth of the intelligent metasurface unit, forming a terahertz broadband intelligent metasurface unit, which is particularly suitable for the practical application of terahertz band communication. Description of the Drawings

[0014] Figure 1a It is a first schematic structural diagram of a horizontally and vertically polarized intelligent metasurface unit provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 1b It is a schematic structural diagram of a horizontally and vertically polarized intelligent metasurface unit provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 2 ;

[0016] Figure 1c It is a schematic structural diagram of a horizontally and vertically polarized intelligent metasurface unit provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 3 ;

[0017] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a plus / minus 45-degree polarized intelligent metasurface unit provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the intelligent metasurface antenna provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the partial decomposition of the intelligent metasurface antenna provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 5a Schematic diagram of the amplitude response curves of four digital states provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 5b Schematic diagram of the phase response curves of four digital states provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 6a Schematic diagram of the codebook distribution of the narrow-beam 20-degree reflection provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 6b Two-dimensional far-field pattern of the narrow-beam 20-degree reflection provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 6c Three-dimensional far-field pattern of the narrow-beam 20-degree reflection provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 7a Schematic diagram of the codebook distribution of the wide-beam 20-degree reflection provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 7b Two-dimensional far-field pattern of the wide-beam 20-degree reflection provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 7c Three-dimensional far-field pattern of the wide-beam 20-degree reflection provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 8 Codebook distribution and three-dimensional far-field pattern of the four-beam vertical incidence provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of the intelligent metasurface antenna with flexible dielectric provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the process flow of the preparation method of the intelligent metasurface antenna provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed implementation manners

[0031] Example embodiments will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments may be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0032] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0033] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a" and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that when the terms "comprises" and / or "composed of" are used in this specification, they specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0034] The embodiments described herein may be described with reference to plan views and / or cross-sectional views by means of idealized schematic diagrams of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the example illustrations may be modified according to manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Therefore, the embodiments are not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but include modifications of configurations formed based on manufacturing processes. Accordingly, the regions illustrated in the drawings have schematic properties, and the shapes of the regions shown in the drawings illustrate the specific shapes of the regions of the elements, but are not intended to be restrictive.

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. It will also be understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning unless expressly so defined herein.

[0036] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an intelligent metasurface unit. Figure 1a - Figure 1c is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the intelligent metasurface unit with horizontal and vertical polarization provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the intelligent metasurface unit with plus and minus 45-degree polarization provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. Combining Figure 1a - Figure 1c and Figure 2As shown, the intelligent metasurface unit includes a first conductive layer 1, a dielectric layer 2, and a second conductive layer 3. The first conductive layer 1 is located on the first surface of the dielectric layer 2, and the second conductive layer 3 is located on the second surface of the dielectric layer 2. The second surface is the surface opposite to the first surface. The shape of the first conductive layer 1 includes a first shape 11 and a second shape 12. The first shape 11 is a centrosymmetric figure, and the second shape 12 extends outward along the edge of the first shape 11, and the second shape 12 is radially arranged.

[0037] The first shape 11 and the second shape 12 each have their own resonance at the corresponding frequency. The first shape 11 and the second shape 12 are combined to form the first conductive layer 1. The resonance of the first shape 11 and the resonance of the second shape 12 can be combined to increase the phase bandwidth, and the maximum phase bandwidth can reach 40 GHz, thereby forming a terahertz broadband intelligent metasurface unit.

[0038] In some embodiments, to meet the dual-polarization requirements, the shape of the first conductive layer 1 is symmetric about a first symmetry axis 101 and a second symmetry axis 102, and the first symmetry axis 101 and the second symmetry axis 102 are perpendicular to each other. That is to say, the shape of the first conductive layer 1 simultaneously satisfies symmetry about two orthogonal symmetry axes. The positive projection of the first symmetry axis 101 or the second symmetry axis 102 on the dielectric layer 2 is parallel to or at a preset angle to an edge of the dielectric layer 2.

[0039] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide two dual-polarization schemes: horizontal-vertical polarization and plus-minus 45-degree polarization. As Figure 1a - Figure 1c shown, the first symmetry axis 101 and the second symmetry axis 102 are respectively parallel to two adjacent edges of the dielectric layer 2, and this situation is called horizontal-vertical polarization. As Figure 2 shown, the first symmetry axis 101 and the second symmetry axis 102 are respectively at a 45-degree angle to two adjacent edges of the dielectric layer 2, that is, Figure 2 the first conductive layer 1 in Figure 1a - Figure 1c is horizontally rotated 45 degrees relative to the first conductive layer 1 in

[0040] Most traditional static intelligent metasurface units are fabricated using techniques such as ion etching or photolithography, which have high process complexity and high processing costs, and are not conducive to production cost control. The printing process has advantages such as simple process and low cost, but the printing process also has the following limitations: insensitive to dimensional accuracy, requiring a minimum line width, and insufficient adhesion. In order to adopt a printing process with lower cost, the embodiments of the present disclosure have improved the structure of the intelligent metasurface unit, designed the first conductive layer into a shape that facilitates process alignment and stable connection, which can improve the alignment tolerance and adhesion, and at the same time, can effectively increase the working bandwidth of the intelligent metasurface unit.

[0041] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first conductive layer 1 may be a metal layer or a non-metal conductive layer, and the material of the first conductive layer 1 depends on the preparation process of the first conductive layer 1. The first conductive layer 1 may be prepared by a printing process, and the printing process may include, but is not limited to, one of the following: screen printing process, PCB (Printed Circuit Board) surface treatment process, inkjet process. If the first conductive layer 1 is prepared by the PCB surface treatment process, the first conductive layer 1 is a metal layer; if the first conductive layer 1 is prepared by the inkjet process, the first conductive layer 1 may be a non-metal conductive layer. Exemplarily, if the electrohydrodynamic inkjet process is used, the first conductive layer 1 is formed by jetting conductive ink, and correspondingly, the first conductive layer 1 is a non-metal conductive layer.

[0042] The intelligent metasurface unit provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a first conductive layer, a dielectric layer, and a second conductive layer. The first conductive layer is located on the first surface of the dielectric layer, and the second conductive layer is located on the second surface of the dielectric layer. The second surface is the surface opposite to the first surface; the shape of the first conductive layer includes a first shape and a second shape. The first shape is a centrosymmetric figure, and the second shape extends outward along the edge of the first shape, and the second shape is radially arranged. The structure of the intelligent metasurface unit is simple. The first shape of the first conductive layer can not only increase the alignment tolerance during the preparation process, but also improve the adhesion of the intelligent metasurface unit. Therefore, a certain process tolerance is allowed, and the robustness is high. It can make up for the defects of the printing process, and correspondingly, the printing process can be used for preparation, reducing the processing cost and complexity, and being easy for large-scale production. In addition, the shape of the first conductive layer formed by the combination of the first shape and the second shape can effectively improve the working bandwidth of the intelligent metasurface unit, and form a terahertz broadband intelligent metasurface unit, which is particularly suitable for the practical application of terahertz band communication.

[0043] In some embodiments, when the first conductive layer 1 is prepared by a printing process, the intelligent metasurface unit may be a three-layer structure to ensure the preparation effect of the printing process. Compared with the traditional intelligent metasurface unit structure with more than three layers, the three-layer structure intelligent metasurface unit of the embodiments of the present disclosure has the advantage of a low profile and a smaller volume.

[0044] In some embodiments, the second shape 12 includes at least four even-numbered bar-shaped figures that radiate around the center of symmetry of a centrally symmetric figure. Exemplarily, the second shape 12 includes, but is not limited to, a cross shape or a shogi board shape. To meet the polarization requirements, the number of bar-shaped figures radiating around the second shape 12 is an even number. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, taking the second shape 12 formed by four rectangles in a cross shape as an example for illustration. It should be noted that the bar-shaped figures in the second shape 12 can also be triangles. For example, the second shape 12 formed by four triangles in a cross shape, or the second shape 12 formed by six triangles in a hexagram shape.

[0045] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first shape 11 includes, but is not limited to, one of the following: a circle, a rectangle, or an ellipse. It should be noted that the first shape 11 can be any shape as long as it is a closed figure, and the shape and number of the bar-shaped figures in the first shape 11 match those in the second shape 12. Exemplarily, if the second shape 12 is a cross shape formed by four triangles, the first shape 11 can be a rectangle; if the second shape 12 is a hexagram shape formed by six triangles, the first shape 11 can be a hexagon.

[0046] Figure 1a FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a horizontally and vertically polarized intelligent metasurface unit provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 1a shown, the first shape 11 is a circle, and the second shape 12 is a cross shape with a relatively narrow width. Figure 1b FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of a horizontally and vertically polarized intelligent metasurface unit provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 , Figure 1c FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of a horizontally and vertically polarized intelligent metasurface unit provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 , Figure 1b and Figure 1c The difference between the intelligent metasurface unit structures shown in Figure 1a and the intelligent metasurface unit structures shown in Figure 1b and Figure 1c is that the shape of the first figure 11 is different. In the intelligent metasurface units shown in Figure 1b and Figure 1c and Figure 1b and Figure 1c is that the setting angle of the first figure 11 is different. The first figure 11 in the intelligent metasurface unit shown in

[0047] In some embodiments, the positive projection of the second conductive layer 3 on the dielectric layer 2 completely coincides with the dielectric layer 2. That is to say, the second conductive layer 3 is a whole-layer structure covering the entire dielectric layer 2. When the second conductive layer 3 is a whole-layer structure, the positions of the intelligent metasurface units in the first conductive layer 1 do not affect the overall performance of the intelligent metasurface antenna, and there are no strict alignment requirements for the intelligent metasurface units, reducing the alignment requirements of the manufacturing process.

[0048] In some embodiments, the second conductive layer 3 can be a metal layer.

[0049] In some embodiments, the thickness of the first conductive layer 1 is greater than the skin depth. Exemplarily, the thickness of the first conductive layer 1 can be 0.035 mm. The tangent of the loss angle of the dielectric layer 2 affects the phase. The lower the tangent of the loss angle, the better the electromagnetic performance of the intelligent metasurface antenna. In some embodiments, exemplarily, ROGERS RO3003 dielectric with a dielectric constant of 3.0 and a tangent of the loss angle of 0.001 can be selected, and the thickness of the dielectric layer 2 can be 0.254 mm. The second conductive layer 3 can be a metal layer with a thickness of 0.035 mm.

[0050] In some embodiments, the dielectric layer 2 can be a flexible dielectric layer or a rigid dielectric layer. The materials of the flexible dielectric layer include but are not limited to: paper-based, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI), etc.

[0051] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide an intelligent metasurface antenna, which includes a first intelligent metasurface unit and a second intelligent metasurface unit. The first intelligent metasurface unit is the intelligent metasurface unit as described above, and the second intelligent metasurface unit has a different phase from the first intelligent metasurface unit.

[0052] In some embodiments, the second intelligent metasurface unit is different in shape and / or size from the first intelligent metasurface unit.

[0053] There can be multiple first intelligent metasurface units and second intelligent metasurface units, and each first intelligent metasurface unit and each second intelligent metasurface unit can be arranged in an array according to a preset codebook sequence. Exemplarily, each first intelligent metasurface unit and each second intelligent metasurface unit can be arranged in an M*N array, where M and N are integers greater than or equal to 2.

[0054] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the intelligent metasurface antenna provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, as Figure 3As shown, the intelligent metasurface antenna includes four types of intelligent metasurface units A, B, C, and D. Among them, the intelligent metasurface unit D is the first intelligent metasurface unit, and the intelligent metasurface units A, B, and C are the second intelligent metasurface units. The shape of the first conductive layer in the intelligent metasurface unit A is a square lacking four corners, the shape of the first conductive layer in the intelligent metasurface unit B is a complete square, and the shape of the first conductive layer in the intelligent metasurface unit C is a wide cross.

[0055] One type of intelligent metasurface unit corresponds to one digital state. The digital state of the intelligent metasurface unit is achieved by adjusting the size and shape of the intelligent metasurface unit, so that different types of intelligent metasurface units have different phases. When the intelligent metasurface unit is irradiated by electromagnetic waves with horizontal or vertical polarization, the phase response of its reflected wave can cover a range of 360 degrees.

[0056] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the size of the intelligent metasurface unit refers to the size of the second shape 12, including the length L and the width W. Taking the intelligent metasurface unit D as an example, as Figure 1b shown, the length L of the intelligent metasurface unit D is the length of the cross, and the width W of the intelligent metasurface unit D is the line width of the cross. The value ranges of L and W are [0, P], where P is the period of the intelligent metasurface unit D. The values of L and W are inversely proportional to the phase of the intelligent metasurface unit D, that is, the larger L and W are, the smaller the phase of the intelligent metasurface unit D is. In some embodiments, the period of the intelligent metasurface unit D can be 1 mm.

[0057] By adjusting the shape of the intelligent metasurface unit, the equivalent dielectric constant of the intelligent metasurface unit can be changed, so that different types of intelligent metasurface units have different relative phases and amplitudes. The electromagnetic responses (mainly the phase response in the embodiments of the present disclosure) of different types of intelligent metasurface units correspond to different digital states. The relationships between the digital states, phases, and sizes of the four types of intelligent metasurface units shown in FIG. 1 are shown in Table 1.

[0058] Table 1

[0059] Intelligent metasurface unit D B C A Digital state 0 1 2 3 Phase / degree 0 90 180 270 W / mm 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 L / mm 0.95 0.1 0.45 0.65

[0060] The four digital states are reflected by the electromagnetic responses of different intelligent metasurface units. Among them, the amplitude response curves are as Figure 5a shown, and the phase response curves are as Figure 5b shown. As Figure 5a shown, the four amplitude response curves 0-3 respectively correspond to the above four digital states (0-3). The reflectivities of the four digital states are all relatively high and are basically lossless. As Figure 5bAs shown, the four phase response curves 0-3 respectively correspond to the above four digital states 0-3. The phases of the four digital states differ by approximately 90 degrees within the bandwidth and can maintain these four digital states.

[0061] The intelligent metasurface antenna of the embodiments of the present disclosure has a three-layer structure of a conductive layer - dielectric layer - conductive layer. The shape of the first conductive layer on the first surface can be a composite shape. By designing the shape, length, and width of the first conductive layer, four different phases can be presented under the irradiation of electromagnetic waves incident in horizontal or vertical polarization, corresponding to four different encoded digital states. By arranging various types of intelligent metasurface units according to different preset codebook sequences, a two-bit dual-polarization intelligent metasurface antenna can be formed.

[0062] Under the irradiation of linearly polarized terahertz waves, the intelligent metasurface antenna can achieve specific beamforming, such as anomalous beam deflection, wide beam coverage, multi-beams, beam focusing, etc. The above various beamformings are realized by designing codebook sequences with different functions and arranging each intelligent metasurface unit according to the designed codebook sequence.

[0063] In some embodiments, the preset codebook sequence includes one of the following: the codebook sequence corresponding to the beamforming that reflects a narrow beam at a preset angle, the beamforming that reflects a wide beam at a preset angle, and the codebook sequence corresponding to the beamforming that reflects multi-beams at a preset angle.

[0064] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the codebook sequence can be optimized by an intelligent algorithm to achieve free beamforming and form a single high-gain narrow beam, a wide beam with wide coverage, or a multi-beam pattern.

[0065] The design standard of the codebook sequence of the intelligent metasurface antenna satisfies the following formula (1)

[0066] θr = sin -1 (λβ / 2πp + sin(θi)) (1)

[0067] Where θr is the reflection / refraction angle, θi is the incident angle, λ is the wavelength, β is the unit phase difference, and p is the period of the intelligent metasurface unit.

[0068] The intelligent metasurface antenna provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is optimized and designed by combining an intelligent algorithm to construct a far-field pattern to meet specific scenario requirements, such as increasing the aperture gain and beam coverage at a specific angle, a wide beam with wide coverage, etc., and deploying different metasurfaces at low cost according to different demand scenarios to achieve enhanced coverage.

[0069] Figure 6a This is a schematic diagram of the codebook distribution for the reflection of a narrow beam of 20 degrees provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7aSchematic diagram of codebook distribution for 20-degree reflection of wide beam provided by embodiments of the present disclosure, as Figure 6a , Figure 7a shown, each color corresponds to a type of intelligent metasurface unit respectively. Figure 6b Two-dimensional far-field pattern for 20-degree reflection of narrow beam provided by embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 7b Two-dimensional far-field pattern for 20-degree reflection of wide beam provided by embodiments of the present disclosure, where the horizontal axis is θr and the vertical axis is amplitude. Figure 6c Three-dimensional far-field pattern for 20-degree reflection of narrow beam provided by embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 7c Three-dimensional far-field pattern for 20-degree reflection of wide beam provided by embodiments of the present disclosure. The angle between the maximum beam and the normal in the intelligent metasurface antenna for 20-degree reflection of narrow beam is 20 degrees. Figure 8 Codebook distribution and three-dimensional far-field pattern for four-beam vertical incidence provided by embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0070] Figure 9 Schematic structural diagram of the intelligent metasurface antenna with flexible medium provided by embodiments of the present disclosure. As Figure 9 shown, the dielectric layer 2 is a flexible dielectric layer. High-precision conductive inks such as nano silver, carbon nanotubes or graphene can be used to print the pattern of the first conductive layer 1 and the second conductive layer 3 on the two opposite surfaces of the flexible dielectric layer respectively, forming an electromagnetic regulation thin film of the intelligent metasurface antenna. This thin film can be conformal with any surface and adhere to any surface to achieve excellent surface flatness.

[0071] Embodiments of the present disclosure overcome the problem of high production cost of intelligent metasurface antennas in related technologies, and provide an intelligent metasurface antenna with low profile and low cost, which has extremely significant and important advantages in cost control. The intelligent metasurface antenna can be a static intelligent metasurface antenna, and correspondingly, it also has the advantage of low power consumption.

[0072] The intelligent metasurface antenna of embodiments of the present disclosure can be prepared by printing processes. Low-cost printing processes include but are not limited to PCB surface treatment processes, screen printing processes, electrohydrodynamic inkjet processes, etc. They have the advantages of low cost, easy production, corrosion resistance, physical wear resistance, etc. In order to be able to use low-precision and low-cost printing processes for preparation, embodiments of the present disclosure have carried out alignment tolerance design on the structure of the intelligent metasurface antenna, allowing a certain process tolerance and having no requirement for alignment precision. Even if there are process errors, it does not affect its electromagnetic performance, has high robustness, has the advantage of mass production, and has broad engineering application prospects in the fields of terahertz sensing imaging and mobile communication.

[0073] The intelligent metasurface antenna structure of the embodiments of the present disclosure has a simple design and strong universality. It can be fabricated using printing processes or conventional lithography processes, and is easy to mass-produce on a large scale. The embodiments of the present disclosure are frequency-independent and can be extended to microwave bands, millimeter-wave bands, infrared, and even higher frequency bands by scaling the patterns of the first conductive layer.

[0074] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a communication device, which includes the intelligent metasurface antenna as described above. The communication device can be a mobile base station and can be applied to B5G and 6G frequency bands.

[0075] The communication device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure includes an intelligent metasurface antenna. The intelligent metasurface antenna includes a first intelligent metasurface unit and a second intelligent metasurface unit. The first intelligent metasurface unit includes a first conductive layer, a dielectric layer, and a second conductive layer. The first conductive layer is located on the first surface of the dielectric layer, and the second conductive layer is located on the second surface of the dielectric layer. The second surface is the surface opposite to the first surface. The shape of the first conductive layer includes a first shape and a second shape. The first shape is a centrosymmetric figure, and the second shape extends outward along the edge of the first shape and is radially arranged. The intelligent metasurface antenna has a simple structure. The first shape of the first conductive layer can not only increase the alignment tolerance during the fabrication process but also improve the adhesion of the intelligent metasurface unit. Therefore, it allows a certain process tolerance and has high robustness, which can compensate for the defects of the printing process. Accordingly, it can be fabricated using the printing process, reducing the processing cost and complexity and being easy to mass-produce on a large scale. In addition, the shape of the first conductive layer formed by the combination of the first shape and the second shape can effectively improve the working bandwidth of the intelligent metasurface unit, forming a terahertz broadband intelligent metasurface unit, which is particularly suitable for practical applications in terahertz band communications.

[0076] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a method for fabricating an intelligent metasurface antenna. As shown in Figure 10 and Figure 4 , the method includes the following steps:

[0077] Step S11: Through a printing process, form a pattern of the first conductive layer on the first surface of the dielectric layer. The pattern of the first conductive layer includes a first shape and a second shape. The first shape is a centrosymmetric figure, and the second shape extends outward along the edge of the first shape and is radially arranged.

[0078] In some embodiments, the printing process includes one of the following: screen printing process, PCB surface treatment process, inkjet process.

[0079] Step S12: Form a second conductive layer on the second surface of the dielectric layer. The second surface is the surface opposite to the first surface.

[0080] In some embodiments, a second conductive layer 3 is formed on the entire second surface of the dielectric layer 2, that is, the second conductive layer 3 completely covers the dielectric layer 2. The second conductive layer 3 can be a metal layer. Correspondingly, the second conductive layer 3 can be prepared on the second surface of the dielectric layer 2 by a printing process, or can also be prepared by traditional ion etching technology, photolithography technology, etc. It should be noted that the execution order of step S11 and step S12 is not limited, that is to say, the first conductive layer 1 can be prepared first, or the second conductive layer 3 can be prepared first.

[0081] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first shape 11 of the first conductive layer 1 can not only increase the alignment tolerance during the preparation process, but also improve the adhesion of the intelligent metasurface unit. Therefore, a certain process tolerance is allowed, and the robustness is high, which can make up for the defects of the printing process. Correspondingly, the printing process can be used for preparation, reducing the processing cost and complexity, and being easy for large-scale production.

[0082] In some embodiments, the inkjet process includes an electrohydrodynamic inkjet process. The forming of the pattern of the first conductive layer on the first surface of the dielectric layer by the printing process (i.e., step S11) includes the following steps: jetting conductive ink to each preset position on the first surface of the dielectric layer to form the pattern of the first conductive layer.

[0083] In some embodiments, the conductive ink includes one of the following: nano silver ink, carbon nanotube ink, graphene ink.

[0084] In the related art, the preparation of terahertz intelligent metasurface antennas mainly uses high-cost and complex processes such as micro-nano processes and photolithography processes, which are mostly complex and difficult to implement. The embodiments of the present disclosure are based on printing processes, including but not limited to PCB surface treatment processes, screen printing processes, electrohydrodynamic inkjet processes, etc. There is no need to add any electronic devices or semiconductor materials in the intelligent metasurface, nor is there a complex control circuit, and the unit structure is simple, having the advantages of low profile, low cost, easy to manufacture and mass produce, and expandable.

[0085] Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that all or some of the steps in the methods disclosed above, and the functional modules / units in the devices, can be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, and their appropriate combinations. In the hardware implementation, the division between the functional modules / units mentioned above does not necessarily correspond to the division of physical components; for example, one physical component can have multiple functions, or one function or step can be executed by several physical components in cooperation. Some or all physical components can be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, or a microprocessor, or as hardware, or as an integrated circuit, such as an application-specific integrated circuit. Such software can be distributed on a computer-readable medium, which can include a computer storage medium (or non-transitory medium) and a communication medium (or transitory medium). As is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, the term computer storage medium includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and can be accessed by a computer. In addition, as is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, a communication medium typically includes computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transmission mechanism, and can include any information delivery medium.

[0086] Example embodiments have been disclosed herein, and although specific terms have been employed, they are used only and should be interpreted only as general illustrative meanings and not for purposes of limitation. In some instances, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise expressly specified, features, characteristics, and / or elements described in connection with a particular embodiment may be used alone or in combination with features, characteristics, and / or elements described in connection with other embodiments. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will understand that various forms and details may be changed without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An intelligent metasurface unit, characterized in that, it includes a first conductive layer, a dielectric layer and a second conductive layer. The first conductive layer is located on the first surface of the dielectric layer, and the second conductive layer is located on the second surface of the dielectric layer. The second surface is the surface opposite to the first surface; the shape of the first conductive layer includes a first shape and a second shape. The first shape is a centrosymmetric figure, and the second shape extends outward along the edge of the first shape, and the second shape is radially arranged.

2. The intelligent metasurface unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, the second shape includes at least four even-numbered strip-shaped figures that radiate around the center of symmetry of the centrosymmetric figure.

3. The intelligent metasurface unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, the first shape includes one of the following: circular, rectangular, elliptical.

4. The intelligent metasurface unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, the orthographic projection of the second conductive layer on the dielectric layer completely coincides with the dielectric layer.

5. The intelligent metasurface unit according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, the dielectric layer is a flexible dielectric layer or a rigid dielectric layer.

6. An intelligent metasurface antenna, characterized in that, it includes a first intelligent metasurface unit and a second intelligent metasurface unit. The first intelligent metasurface unit is the intelligent metasurface unit according to any one of claims 1-5, and the second intelligent metasurface unit has a different phase from the first intelligent metasurface unit.

7. The intelligent metasurface antenna according to claim 6, characterized in that, the second intelligent metasurface unit has a different shape and / or size from the first intelligent metasurface unit.

8. The intelligent metasurface antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that, the first intelligent metasurface unit and the second intelligent metasurface unit are arranged in an array according to a preset codebook sequence.

9. The intelligent metasurface antenna according to claim 8, characterized in that, the preset codebook sequence includes one of the following: the codebook sequence corresponding to beamforming that reflects a narrow beam at a preset angle, beamforming that reflects a wide beam at a preset angle, the codebook sequence corresponding to beamforming that reflects multiple beams at a preset angle.

10. A communication device, characterized in that, it includes the intelligent metasurface antenna according to any one of claims 6-9.

11. A preparation method of an intelligent metasurface antenna, characterized in that, it includes: forming a pattern of the first conductive layer on the first surface of the dielectric layer through a printing process. The pattern of the first conductive layer includes a first shape and a second shape. The first shape is a centrosymmetric figure, and the second shape extends outward along the edge of the first shape, and the second shape is radially arranged; forming a second conductive layer on the second surface of the dielectric layer, and the second surface is the surface opposite to the first surface.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, the printing process includes one of the following: screen printing process, printed circuit board (PCB) surface treatment process, inkjet process.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, In the case where the printing process is an inkjet process, the inkjet process includes an electrohydrodynamic inkjet process. By the printing process, forming a pattern of a first conductive layer on a first surface of a dielectric layer includes: Jetting conductive ink onto respective preset positions on the first surface of the dielectric layer to form a pattern of the first conductive layer.

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