Metasurface unit, metasurface structure, and electronic device

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of communications. Disclosed are a metasurface unit, a metasurface structure, and an electronic device. A metasurface unit, comprising: a phase compensation assembly and a regulation and control assembly. The regulation and control assembly comprises a first dielectric plate, a first metal patch, and a plurality of adjustable components. The first dielectric plate is stacked on the phase compensation assembly, the first metal patch is arranged as a circle on the first dielectric plate, and the plurality of adjustable components are arranged at intervals on the first metal patch along the circle of the first metal patch. The adjustable components have an on state and an off state, and by switching the on / off state of the adjustable components, the metasurface unit is in a state of transmitting electromagnetic waves or a state of reflecting electromagnetic waves.

Description

Metasurface units, metasurface structures and electronic devices

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411577391.3, filed on November 6, 2024, entitled "Metasurface Unit, Metasurface Structure and Electronic Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application belongs to the field of communication technology, specifically relating to a metasurface unit, metasurface structure, and electronic device. Background Technology

[0004] Mobile communication has entered the 5G era and is beginning to envision 6G, requiring higher-frequency antennas to cover greater distances. Antenna gain, as a crucial antenna indicator, directly impacts coverage distance. Currently, the main way to improve antenna gain is by arraying multiple antennas to form an array antenna, where the radiation from all antennas is superimposed in the desired radiation direction to increase gain.

[0005] However, the above methods require increasing the size of the antenna itself, increasing the space occupied, and requiring the design of a more complex feeding network, which greatly increases the complexity of the antenna.

[0006] In addition, some current antennas can only improve gain in one direction and cannot improve gain in multiple directions. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this application is to provide a metasurface unit, metasurface structure, and electronic device that can at least solve the problem that antennas cannot achieve gain improvement in multiple directions.

[0008] This application provides a metasurface unit, including a phase compensation component and a control component. The control component includes a first dielectric substrate, a first metal patch, and a plurality of adjustable devices. The first dielectric substrate is stacked on the phase compensation component, the first metal patch is disposed around the first dielectric substrate, and the plurality of adjustable devices are spaced apart on the first metal patch along the circumferential direction of the first metal patch. The adjustable devices have an on state and an off state. By switching the on and off states of the adjustable devices, the metasurface unit is made to be in a state of transmitting electromagnetic waves or reflecting electromagnetic waves.

[0009] This application also provides a metasurface structure, including: a metasurface unit array; the metasurface unit array includes a plurality of the above-mentioned metasurface units, and the electromagnetic waves emitted through the plurality of metasurface units have equal phase.

[0010] This application also provides an electronic device, including: an antenna assembly, the antenna assembly including a feed source and the above-mentioned metasurface structure; the feed source is used to transmit electromagnetic waves; at least a portion of the metasurface structure is disposed opposite to the feed source, the metasurface structure is used to receive the electromagnetic waves transmitted by the feed source, and modulate the phase of the reflected wave and / or the phase of the transmitted wave. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 is a first disassembly diagram of the metasurface unit disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0012] Figure 2 is a second disassembly diagram of the metasurface unit disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0013] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of phase compensation disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0014] Figure 4 shows the phase change curve of the metasurface unit disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0015] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the scattering parameters when the adjustable device disclosed in the embodiment of this application is turned on;

[0016] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the scattering parameters when the adjustable device disclosed in the embodiment of this application is disconnected;

[0017] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the metasurface structure disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0018] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the gain of the transmissive metasurface structure at 3.8 GHz disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0019] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the gain variation of the transmissive metasurface structure in the entire frequency band disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0020] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the gain of the reflective metasurface structure at 3.7 GHz disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0021] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the gain variation of the reflective metasurface structure in the target frequency band disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0022] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the external use of the metasurface structure disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the integrated design of metasurface structure disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 01-Metasurface structure; 10-Metasurface unit; 11-Phase compensation component; 111-Second dielectric substrate; 112-Second metal patch; 12-Control component; 121-First dielectric substrate; 122-First metal patch; 123-Adjustable device; 02-Feed source; 03-Equipment body. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0027] The embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through examples and application scenarios.

[0028] Referring to Figures 1 to 13, this application discloses a metasurface unit 10, which includes a phase compensation component 11 and a control component 12.

[0029] The phase compensation component 11 is mainly used to adjust the phase of the electromagnetic wave to ensure that the phase of the electromagnetic wave meets the requirements; the control component 12 is mainly used to adjust the propagation direction of the electromagnetic wave to facilitate the propagation of the electromagnetic wave in different directions. The control component 12 can realize the transmission or reflection function of the electromagnetic wave, so that the electromagnetic wave achieves gain in both the forward and backward directions.

[0030] In some embodiments, the control component 12 can be disposed on the emitting side of the phase compensation component 11. This arrangement allows the electromagnetic wave to first pass through the phase compensation component 11 for phase adjustment, and the phase-adjusted electromagnetic wave then re-enters the control component 12 to adjust the propagation direction.

[0031] Referring to Figure 1, the control component 12 includes a first dielectric substrate 121, a first metal patch 122, and a plurality of adjustable devices 123. The first dielectric substrate 121 is stacked on top of the phase compensation component 11, allowing electromagnetic waves whose phases have been adjusted by the phase compensation component 11 to enter the first dielectric substrate 121. The first metal patch 122 is arranged around the first dielectric substrate 121, and its phase can be adjusted to obtain electromagnetic waves that meet phase requirements. The plurality of adjustable devices 123 are spaced apart from the first metal patch 122 along its circumferential direction, thus allowing adjustment of the electromagnetic wave propagation direction through the states of the multiple adjustable devices 123.

[0032] Each adjustable device 123 has an on state and an off state. By switching the on / off state of the adjustable device 123, the metasurface unit 10 can be in a state of transmitting electromagnetic waves or reflecting electromagnetic waves. It should be noted that the on / off state of the adjustable device 123 affects the resonant frequency of the first metal patch 122, thus affecting the propagation direction of the electromagnetic waves. Therefore, when the transmission function is required, the adjustable device 123 can be adjusted to the on state, in which case the electromagnetic waves can be transmitted through the metasurface unit 10 without changing the propagation direction of the electromagnetic waves; when the reflection function is required, the adjustable device 123 can be adjusted to the off state, in which case the electromagnetic waves can be reflected and their propagation direction changed.

[0033] It should be noted that the first metal patch 122 can be regarded as a resonant ring. The resonant ring can have multiple openings, and multiple adjustable devices 123 are correspondingly arranged at multiple openings. By changing the on / off state of the adjustable devices 123, the resonant frequency of the resonant ring can be changed. After the resonant frequency is changed, different electric and magnetic field resonance intensities will be generated, which will ultimately affect the propagation direction of the incident electromagnetic wave, thereby realizing the transmission or reflection of the electromagnetic wave.

[0034] In this embodiment, the phase compensation component 11 can compensate for the phase of the electromagnetic wave signal to meet the phase requirements of the electromagnetic wave during signal transmission; the control component 12 can control the electromagnetic wave. After phase compensation by the phase compensation component 11, the electromagnetic wave enters the first dielectric substrate 121 and reaches the first metal patch 122. The on / off state of multiple adjustable devices 123 is adjusted to regulate whether the electromagnetic wave can pass through. When the adjustable devices 123 are in the on state, the metasurface unit 10 can achieve a transmission effect, allowing the electromagnetic wave to propagate through the metasurface unit 10. When the adjustable devices 123 are in the off state, the metasurface unit 10 cannot achieve a transmission effect, causing the electromagnetic wave to be reflected and propagate in the opposite direction. Compared with related technologies, the metasurface unit 10 in this embodiment can achieve bidirectional propagation of electromagnetic waves, and the antenna using this metasurface unit 10 can achieve bidirectional gain enhancement without increasing the antenna size and complexity, thereby reducing the antenna's footprint and cost.

[0035] In some embodiments, the first metal patch 122 may be an annular metal patch located on the side of the first dielectric plate 121 away from the phase compensation component 11. This design can separate the first metal patch 122 from the phase compensation component 11 without interference from the phase compensation component 11, and can also facilitate the installation of the first metal patch 122.

[0036] In other embodiments, the first metal patch 122 may also be disposed inside the first dielectric plate 121. For example, the first dielectric plate 121 may have a cavity or groove, and the first metal patch 122 may be disposed in the cavity or groove to achieve the installation and positioning of the first metal patch 122.

[0037] In one example, the ring-shaped metal patch can be a circular ring-shaped metal patch, a polygonal ring-shaped metal patch, an elliptical ring-shaped metal patch, etc., and its shape is not limited.

[0038] In one example, multiple adjustable devices 123 can be evenly distributed on the annular metal patch, thereby dividing the annular metal patch into multiple metal patch segments of equal length. For example, when the annular metal patch is a circular or elliptical annular metal patch, each metal patch segment can be an arc segment; when the annular metal patch is a polygonal annular metal patch, each metal patch can be a straight line segment or a broken line segment.

[0039] In some embodiments, the annular metal patch can be a circular annular metal patch, and the number of adjustable devices 123 is four. The four adjustable devices 123 can divide the circular annular metal patch into four arc-shaped patch segments.

[0040] In some embodiments, the phase compensation component 11 may include at least one second dielectric plate 111 and at least two second metal patches 112. The at least two second metal patches 112 are stacked, with adjacent patches separated by the second dielectric plate 111. A second metal patch 112 located at one end of the phase compensation component 11 is stacked on a first dielectric plate 121. Based on this arrangement, electromagnetic waves can be transmitted through at least one second dielectric plate 111. Simultaneously, the second dielectric plate 111 can also support and fix the second metal patches 112 to ensure their stability. Furthermore, the second dielectric plate 111 can separate adjacent patches 112 to prevent interference between them. Additionally, the second metal patches 112 can influence the phase of the electromagnetic waves, thereby changing their phase. Therefore, the phase of the electromagnetic waves can be adjusted sequentially using at least two second metal patches 112, ensuring that the phase of the electromagnetic waves ultimately transmitted by the phase compensation component 11 meets the actual requirements.

[0041] For example, the second dielectric substrate 111 can be one, two, three, etc., and the second metal patch 112 can be two, three, four, etc., and the quantity can be selected according to actual needs.

[0042] In one example, the second metal patch 112 has multiple edges that can overlap with multiple edges of the second dielectric substrate 111. Furthermore, at least two second metal patches 112 can have the same or different shapes. For example, the quadrilateral containing the edges of the second metal patches 112 can be a square; the second dielectric substrate 111 can be a square dielectric substrate. Of course, they can also be other shapes, which are not limited here.

[0043] Referring to Figure 1, in some embodiments, the phase compensation component 11 may include two second dielectric plates 111 and three second metal patches 112, wherein the first second dielectric plate 111, the second second dielectric plate 111, the first second metal patch 112, the second second metal patch 112, and the third second metal patch 112 are stacked sequentially, with the first second metal patch 112 located between the first dielectric plate 121 and the first second dielectric plate 111. Based on this arrangement, a multi-layer phase compensation component 11 composed of two second dielectric plates 111 and three second metal patches 112 can be formed, facilitating the transmission of electromagnetic waves through the two second dielectric plates 111 and the alteration of the phase of the electromagnetic waves through the three second metal patches 112.

[0044] Of course, in other embodiments, the phase compensation component 11 may also include other numbers of second dielectric plates 111 and other numbers of second metal patches 112, which may be selected according to actual needs.

[0045] Furthermore, the shapes of the second metal patches 112 on opposite sides of each second dielectric plate 111 can be different. This design allows electromagnetic waves to generate different phases when affected by each second metal patch 112. Thus, the phase of electromagnetic waves can be adjusted through the synergistic effect of multiple second metal patches 112.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first second metal patch 112 can be a cross-shaped metal patch. This cross-shaped metal patch may include four square patch units and two rectangular patch units. The four square patch units are distributed at the four corners of the first second dielectric substrate 111. One rectangular patch unit is connected to the two square patch units located at two opposite corners, and the other rectangular patch unit is connected to the two square patch units located at the other two opposite corners, thus forming a cross-shaped metal patch. Of course, this is not a limitation; other shapes are also possible and are not specified here.

[0047] The second metal patch 112 can be a perforated metal patch. This perforated metal patch can have quadrilateral slits, multiple elongated slits, and multiple bent slits. The multiple elongated slits are located on the inner sides of the four sides of the quadrilateral slit and are connected to the slits on the four sides of the quadrilateral slit. The multiple bent slits are arranged around the outer perimeter of the quadrilateral slits, thus forming a perforated metal patch with quadrilateral slits, multiple elongated slits, and multiple bent slits.

[0048] For example, the quadrilateral gap can be a square gap, each elongated gap is located at the midpoint of its corresponding side, and the curved gap can be an L-shaped gap. In addition, the four corners of the square gap are respectively positioned opposite to the midpoints of the four sides of the second second medium plate 111, and the four L-shaped gaps are distributed at the four corners of the two second medium plates 111.

[0049] The third second metal patch 112 can be a cross-shaped metal patch, which has the same shape and size as the first second metal patch 112 and is positioned opposite to it. Of course, the shape of the third second metal patch 112 can also be different from that of the second second metal patch 112.

[0050] In some embodiments, the adjustable device 123 can be a diode, such as a PIN diode or a tunnel diode, or other electrical components, as long as they can achieve switching between on and off states; the form is not limited. It should be noted that a diode is an electrically adjustable component; when the voltage applied to it changes, the diode can switch from conducting to disconnecting, and this change is reversible. Therefore, by using a diode in the metasurface unit 10, the function of the metasurface unit 10 can be switched by controlling the voltage across the diode.

[0051] In this embodiment, by switching the adjustable device 123 on and off, the resonant frequency of the resonant ring (i.e., the annular metal patch) can be changed, thereby achieving the switching between electromagnetic wave transmission and reflection. Specifically, when the adjustable device 123 is in the on state, the entire metasurface unit 10 can achieve a transmission effect; conversely, when the adjustable device 123 is in the off state, the entire metasurface unit 10 can achieve a reflection effect.

[0052] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the scattering characteristics of the metasurface unit 10 when the adjustable device 123 is turned on. As can be seen from Figure 5, the transmission coefficient S21 is much larger than the reflection coefficient S11 at this time, and the metasurface unit 10 realizes the transmission function. In the figure, the solid line represents the transmission coefficient S21 and the dashed line represents the reflection coefficient S11.

[0053] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the scattering characteristics of the metasurface unit 10 when the adjustable device 123 is disconnected. As can be seen from Figure 6, the reflection coefficient S11 is much larger than the transmission coefficient S21 at this time, and the metasurface unit 10 realizes the reflection function. In the figure, the solid line represents the reflection coefficient S11 and the dashed line represents the transmission coefficient S21.

[0054] Therefore, in this embodiment of the application, the transmission or reflection function of the metasurface unit 10 can be controlled by controlling the on and off states of the adjustable device 123 of the metasurface unit 10.

[0055] Based on the aforementioned metasurface unit 10, this application also discloses a metasurface structure 01. Referring to Figures 1 to 13, the disclosed metasurface structure 01 includes an array of metasurface units 10. This array of metasurface units 10 includes multiple metasurface units 10, and the electromagnetic waves emitted through the multiple metasurface units 10 have equal phase. Based on this configuration, gain enhancement can be achieved through the metasurface structure 01.

[0056] It should be noted that each metasurface unit 10 in this embodiment can adjust the phase of the electromagnetic wave to compensate for the phase of the electromagnetic wave. Thus, even if the metasurface units 10 at different locations have electromagnetic waves with different incident phases, by adjusting the size and shape of the metasurface units 10, the phases of the electromagnetic waves emitted by multiple metasurface units 10 can be made equal, thereby achieving the conversion from spherical electromagnetic waves to planar electromagnetic waves and thus improving gain. Compared to improving gain through lenses, the metasurface structure 01 is easier to manufacture, more flexible in its control, and has a lower profile height.

[0057] In some embodiments, a plurality of metasurface units 10 are arranged in an array. The plurality of metasurface units 10 can be arranged in a rectangular array, thus forming a rectangular metasurface structure 01; of course, the plurality of metasurface units 10 can also be distributed in a circular matrix, thus forming a circular metasurface structure 01, etc. It should be noted that the plurality of metasurface units 10 arranged in an array can also be arranged periodically, and can be arranged according to actual needs.

[0058] Furthermore, the periodic dimension of each metasurface unit 10 is fixed. Based on this, the phase of electromagnetic waves can be adjusted by adjusting the size of the metal patch (e.g., the second metal patch 112, etc.) of each metasurface unit 10, so that the phase of the electromagnetic waves emitted by multiple metasurface units 10 is equal, thereby realizing the electromagnetic wave phase compensation of the entire metasurface structure 01.

[0059] It should be noted here that when the periodic size of the dielectric layer of the metasurface unit 10 is the same as the periodic size of the metal patch, the periodic size of the metasurface unit 10 is either the periodic size of the dielectric layer or the periodic size of the metal patch.

[0060] Considering that multiple metasurface units 10 have incident electromagnetic waves with different incident phases, in order to improve the gain, in this embodiment of the application, the characteristic parameters of the corresponding second metal patch 112 in multiple metasurface units 10 can be proportionally enlarged or reduced to compensate for the phase of the electromagnetic waves, so that the phases of the electromagnetic waves emitted by multiple metasurface units 10 are equal.

[0061] It should be noted that the structures of multiple metasurface units 10 may be the same, but the characteristic parameters of the corresponding second metal patch 112 in metasurface units 10 at different locations may be different. That is, the phase of the electromagnetic wave can be changed by adjusting the characteristic parameters of the second metal patch 112.

[0062] Considering that the phase compensation component 11 may include at least one second dielectric plate 111 and at least two second metal patches 112, the at least two second metal patches 112 are stacked and adjacent two second metal patches 112 are separated by the second dielectric plate 111.

[0063] In some embodiments, at least two second metal patches 112 may include at least two cross-shaped metal patches. Based on this, in the plurality of metasurface units 10, the side length of the quadrilateral containing the edges of the corresponding cross-shaped metal patches can be proportionally enlarged or reduced, thereby achieving phase adjustment of electromagnetic waves as they pass through the plurality of metasurface units 10.

[0064] In other embodiments, at least two second metal patches 112 may include at least two perforated metal patches with gaps. Based on this, the width of the gaps in the corresponding perforated metal patches of the plurality of metasurface units 10 can be proportionally enlarged or reduced, thereby achieving phase modulation of electromagnetic waves passing through the plurality of metasurface units 10.

[0065] In some embodiments, at least two second metal patches 112 may include at least one cross-shaped metal patch and at least one perforated metal patch, with the perforated metal patch having a gap. Based on this, in the plurality of metasurface units 10, the side length of the quadrilateral containing the edge of the corresponding cross-shaped metal patch can be proportionally enlarged or reduced, and the width of the gap in the corresponding perforated metal patch can be proportionally enlarged or reduced, thereby achieving phase adjustment of electromagnetic waves passing through the plurality of metasurface units 10.

[0066] It should be noted that the side length of the quadrilateral containing the edge of the aforementioned cross-shaped metal patch is a characteristic parameter of the cross-shaped metal patch; the width of the gap in the aforementioned hollowed-out metal patch is a characteristic parameter of the hollowed-out metal patch.

[0067] In some embodiments, the perforated metal patch may have quadrilateral slits, multiple elongated slits, and multiple bent slits. The multiple elongated slits are located inside the four sides of the quadrilateral slit and communicate with the slits at the four sides of the quadrilateral slit. The multiple bent slits surround the quadrilateral slits, thus forming a perforated metal patch with quadrilateral slits, multiple elongated slits, and multiple bent slits. Based on this, when the width of the slits in the corresponding perforated metal patches of the multiple metasurface units 10 is proportionally enlarged or reduced, the distance between the multiple bent slits and the quadrilateral slits of the perforated metal patch will also be correspondingly scaled. For example, when the width is proportionally increased, the distance increases; conversely, when the width is proportionally reduced, the distance decreases.

[0068] For example, the metasurface unit 10 can be a square metasurface unit; in addition, the quadrilateral containing the edge of the second metal patch 112 can also be a square. Of course, the quadrilateral containing the edge of the metasurface unit 10 and the second metal patch 112 can each be other shapes, which are not limited here.

[0069] As shown in Figure 3, a coordinate system is established with the center of the metasurface structure 01 as the origin of the coordinate axis and the surface of the metasurface structure 01 that receives signals as the xoy plane. The distance from the center of the surface of the metasurface structure 01 that receives signals to the signal transmitting element (i.e., the feed source 02 described below) is defined as h. Based on this, the distance from different positions of the metasurface structure 01 to the signal transmitting element is different, and due to the path difference between different positions, the phase of the electromagnetic waves will also be different. The main function of the metasurface structure 01 in this embodiment is to compensate for this phase difference, making the phases of the electromagnetic waves transmitted or reflected by the metasurface units 10 at different positions of the metasurface structure 01 equal, thereby achieving the purpose of improving gain.

[0070] The phase of the electromagnetic wave incident at the center of the surface of the metasurface structure 01 is set as the target phase, and the phases of the waves at other positions after compensation by the metasurface structure 01 are equal to the target phase.

[0071] Let the coordinates of the center of the surface of metasurface structure 01 be (x, y), the path of the electromagnetic wave incident on coordinates (x, y) be s, the path of the electromagnetic wave incident on the center be h, the path difference be sh, and the phase difference be k*(sh), where k is the wave number of the medium. If the metasurface is used in air, then k is equal to the free space wave number k0=2π / λ, where λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave of the selected frequency in air.

[0072] Based on the above, it can be seen that the phase compensation required for the metasurface unit 10 with coordinates (x, y) on the metasurface structure 01 is k*(sh). Therefore, the phase compensation required can be further calculated as follows:

[0073] The above calculations can obtain the phase compensation required for each metasurface unit 10 of the metasurface structure 01. Then, the metasurface structure 01 can be designed to meet the corresponding phase requirements.

[0074] In some embodiments, among the plurality of metasurface units 10, the ratio of the side lengths of the quadrilateral containing the edges of the corresponding cross-shaped metal patches between any metasurface unit 10 and the target unit is a scaling factor; or, the ratio of the width dimensions of the gaps between any metasurface unit 10 and the target unit is a scaling factor.

[0075] In this embodiment, a 360° phase change is achieved when the scaling factor changes from 0.8 to 1.2, wherein the target unit is the metasurface unit 10 located at the geometric center of the metasurface structure 01. Exemplarily, the scaling factor can be 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, etc., and of course, it can also be other values, which are not limited here.

[0076] Based on the above settings, after calculating the phase that the metasurface unit 10 at a certain position needs to be compensated, the metasurface unit 10 with the corresponding scaling factor can be placed at that position, and so on, until all the metasurface units 10 at all positions are compensated, and finally the metasurface structure 01 with the arrangement completed is obtained.

[0077] In some embodiments, the metasurface structure 01 may include a plurality of metasurface units 10 arranged in an array along a first direction and a plurality of metasurface units 10 arranged in an array along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the number of metasurface units 10 in the first direction is equal to the number of metasurface units 10 in the second direction, forming an array of metasurface units 10 in the direction.

[0078] For example, as shown in Figure 7, an 8×8 metasurface structure 01 can be formed. Of course, a 16×16 metasurface structure 01 can also be formed, etc. The form of the metasurface structure 01 is not limited here.

[0079] Based on the aforementioned metasurface structure 01, this application also discloses an electronic device. The disclosed electronic device includes an antenna assembly, which includes a feed source 02 and the aforementioned metasurface structure 01. The feed source 02 is used to transmit electromagnetic waves, and at least a portion of the metasurface structure 01 is disposed opposite to the feed source 02. The metasurface structure 01 is used to receive the electromagnetic waves transmitted by the feed source 02 and modulate the phase of the reflected wave and / or the phase of the transmitted wave.

[0080] In this embodiment, the principle of improving antenna component gain using metasurface structure 01 can be understood as adjusting the phase wavefront of electromagnetic waves. The method is as follows: the gain of an antenna component is mainly determined by its directivity and feed efficiency. Under the premise of ensuring a certain feed efficiency, the gain of the antenna component can be improved by increasing its directivity. The directivity of an antenna component describes the degree of convergence of the electromagnetic waves radiated by the antenna component; the stronger the beam convergence, the higher the directivity of the antenna component. The propagation direction of the electromagnetic waves radiated by the antenna component is the normal direction of the equiphase surface of the electromagnetic wave. If the antenna component radiates a spherical wave, its normal direction diverges, resulting in poor beam convergence and thus poor directivity. Conversely, if the antenna component radiates a spherical wave, its normal direction is concentrated, resulting in strong beam convergence and thus strong directivity.

[0081] Therefore, the metasurface structure 01 compensates for the phase difference of the incident wave by adjusting the size of each metasurface unit 10, so that the final phase of the incident waves with different incident phases is equal, thereby realizing the transformation from a sphere to a plane and thus improving the gain of the antenna component.

[0082] In some embodiments, the metasurface structure 01 may include a square array of metasurface units 10, with the center of the feed source 02 opposite to and spaced apart from the center of the metasurface units 10.

[0083] Furthermore, the distance between the center of the feed source 02 and the center of the metasurface unit 10 array is 0.4 to 0.6 times the side length of the metasurface unit 10 array. For example, it includes 0.4, 0.45, 0.5, 0.55, 0.6, etc. Of course, it can also be other multiples, which are not limited here.

[0084] In this embodiment of the application, the antenna component has a maximum gain of 8 dBi in the target frequency band of 3.3 to 4.2 GHz, and the gain effect of its metasurface structure 01 is shown in Figures 8 to 11.

[0085] As can be seen from Figures 8 and 9, the metasurface structure 01 in the transmission state has a minimum gain of 11.8 dBi and a maximum gain of 17.5 dBi in the range of 3.3 to 4.2 GHz, which is up to 9.5 dBi higher than that of the feed 02.

[0086] As can be seen from Figures 10 and 11, the metasurface structure 01 in the reflection state has a minimum gain of 11 dBi and a maximum gain of 15.2 dBi in the range of 3.3 to 4.2 GHz, which is up to 7.2 dBi higher than that of the feed 02.

[0087] It should be noted that the phase compensation of the metasurface structure 01 is a relative compensation. It is necessary to ensure that the phase of the emitted electromagnetic waves from the metasurface units 10 at all locations of the metasurface structure 01 is consistent. The final phase after compensation can vary. For example, adding an equal phase to each metasurface unit 10 simultaneously will not affect the gain enhancement effect of the metasurface structure 01. The gain enhancement effect of the metasurface structure 01 is related to the size of the feed source 02 and the metasurface structure 01 itself; the larger the size of the metasurface structure 01, the better the gain enhancement effect.

[0088] The application scenarios of metasurface structure 01 are described below.

[0089] The metasurface structure 01 can be used as an external component, placed on the outside of the device body 03 of the electronic device to enhance gain, as shown in Figure 12. Alternatively, the metasurface structure 01 can be attached to the surface of the device body 03 of the electronic device for integrated design, as shown in Figure 13.

[0090] Among them, electronic devices can be indoor terminal devices or outdoor terminal devices, such as CPE devices.

[0091] In summary, the embodiments of this application can improve the gain of the antenna assembly and increase its coverage distance without introducing a complex feeding network or increasing the size of the antenna assembly itself; furthermore, the antenna assembly can also improve its gain in both the front and rear directions by switching the transmission or reflection state of the metasurface unit 10.

[0092] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A metasurface unit, comprising: Phase compensation component (11) and control component (12); The control component (12) includes a first dielectric plate (121), a first metal patch (122), and a plurality of adjustable devices (123). The first dielectric plate (121) is stacked on the phase compensation component (11). The first metal patch (122) is disposed around the first dielectric plate (121). The plurality of adjustable devices (123) are disposed at intervals on the first metal patch (122) along the circumferential direction of the first metal patch (122). The adjustable device (123) has an on state and an off state. By switching the on and off state of the adjustable device (123), the metasurface unit (10) is in a state of transmitting electromagnetic waves or reflecting electromagnetic waves.

2. The metasurface unit of claim 1, wherein, The first metal patch (122) is an annular metal patch, which is located on the side of the first dielectric plate (121) opposite to the phase compensation component (11); Multiple adjustable devices (123) are evenly distributed on the annular metal patch.

3. The metasurface unit of claim 1, wherein, The phase compensation component (11) includes at least one second dielectric plate (111) and at least two second metal patches (112); At least two second metal patches (112) are stacked, and adjacent two second metal patches (112) are separated by the second dielectric plate (111); The second metal patch (112) located at one end of the phase compensation component (11) is stacked on the first dielectric plate (121).

4. The metasurface unit of claim 3, wherein, The phase compensation component (11) includes a first second metal patch (112), a first second dielectric plate (111), a second second metal patch (112), a second second dielectric plate (111), and a third second metal patch (112) stacked sequentially, with the first second metal patch (112) located between the first dielectric plate (121) and the first second dielectric plate (111); The shapes of the second metal patches (112) on opposite sides of each second dielectric plate (111) are different.

5. The metasurface unit according to claim 4, wherein, The first of the second metal patches (112) is a cross-shaped metal patch; The second metal patch (112) is a rectangular metal patch. The rectangular metal patch has a quadrilateral slit, a plurality of elongated slits and a plurality of bent slits. The plurality of elongated slits are located on the inner side of the four sides of the quadrilateral slit and are connected accordingly. The plurality of bent slits are arranged around the periphery of the quadrilateral slit. The third second metal patch (112) is a cross-shaped metal patch.

6. The metasurface unit of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The adjustable device (123) is a PIN diode or a tunnel diode.

7. A metasurface structure comprising: Metasurface unit array; The metasurface unit array includes a plurality of metasurface units (10) as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, and the electromagnetic waves emitted via the plurality of metasurface units (10) have equal phase.

8. The metasurface structure of claim 7, wherein, Multiple metasurface units (10) are arranged in an array, each metasurface unit (10) has a fixed period size, and the phase compensation component (11) of each metasurface unit (10) includes at least one second dielectric plate (111) and at least two second metal patches (112). The at least two second metal patches (112) are stacked, and adjacent two second metal patches (112) are separated by the second dielectric plate (111). The at least two second metal patches (112) include at least two cross-shaped metal patches, and in the plurality of metasurface units (10), the side length of the quadrilateral containing the edge of the corresponding cross-shaped metal patch is proportionally enlarged or reduced; or, The at least two second metal patches (112) include at least two perforated metal patches, the perforated metal patches having slits, and in the plurality of metasurface units (10), the width of the slits of the corresponding perforated metal patches is proportionally enlarged or reduced; or, The at least two second metal patches (112) include at least one cross-shaped metal patch and at least one perforated metal patch. The perforated metal patch has a slit. In the plurality of metasurface units (10), the side length of the quadrilateral containing the edge of the corresponding cross-shaped metal patch is proportionally enlarged or reduced, and the width of the slit of the corresponding perforated metal patch is proportionally enlarged or reduced.

9. The metasurface structure of claim 8, wherein, In the plurality of metasurface units (10), the ratio of the side length of the quadrilateral containing the edge of the corresponding cross-shaped metal patch between any metasurface unit (10) and the target unit, or the ratio of the width of the gap of the corresponding hollow metal patch between any metasurface unit (10) and the target unit, is a scaling factor. The scaling factor changes from 0.8 to 1.2 to achieve a phase change of 360°. The target unit is a metasurface unit (10) located at the geometric center of the metasurface structure (01).

10. The metasurface structure of claim 7 or 8, wherein, The metasurface structure (01) includes a plurality of metasurface units (10) arranged in an array along a first direction and a plurality of metasurface units (10) arranged in an array along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; The number of metasurface units (10) in the first direction is equal to the number of metasurface units (10) in the second direction, forming a square metasurface unit array.

11. An electronic device comprising: An antenna assembly comprising a feed source (02) and a metasurface structure (01) as described in any one of claims 7 to 10; The feed source (02) is used to transmit electromagnetic waves; At least a portion of the metasurface structure (01) is disposed opposite to the feed source (02), the metasurface structure (01) being used to receive electromagnetic waves emitted by the feed source (02) and modulate the phase of the reflected wave and / or the phase of the transmitted wave.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein, The metasurface structure (01) comprises a square metasurface unit array; The center of the feed source (02) is opposite to the center of the metasurface unit array and is spaced apart.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein, The distance between the center of the feed source (02) and the center of the metasurface unit array is 0.4 to 0.6 times the side length of the metasurface unit array.

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