Back-Feed Metamaterial Antenna for Lens Volume Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lens antennas are large, heavy, and suffer from severe reflection interference and loss of electromagnetic energy, limiting their miniaturization, directivity, and transmission distance.
Innovation Solution
A back-feed microwave antenna using a metamaterial panel with a refractive index distribution that varies radially, featuring artificial metal microstructures and porous structures, which reduces reflection loss and enhances transmission distance while maintaining high gain and a good front-to-back ratio.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spherical lens is used to converge electromagnetic waves, then the antenna achieves strong directivity, but the lens becomes large in volume and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the refractive index parameter distribution within the lens from uniform to gradient, creating a gradient index lens where the refractive index varies continuously from the center to the periphery. This parameter change allows the lens to achieve the same wave-converging effect with a much smaller volume, directly resolving the contradiction between directivity and lens size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures combining different materials with varying refractive indices to create the gradient index profile. This composite approach enables precise control over the refractive index distribution, allowing the lens to maintain strong directivity while minimizing volume through optimized material composition.
2Reliability
If a spherical lens with very accurate shape is used, then direction propagation is realized, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from requiring precise spherical shape control to controlling the refractive index parameter distribution. The gradient index can be achieved through material composition control rather than complex shape machining, significantly reducing manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining direction propagation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical shape precision control with optical parameter (refractive index) control. Instead of relying on precise mechanical shaping of spherical surfaces, the system uses material property control to achieve the desired wave propagation, substituting mechanical precision requirements with material science approaches.
3Reliability
If electromagnetic waves pass through boundary surfaces of different media, then the lens functions, but reflection interference and energy loss occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous parameter change of the refractive index from the center to the periphery of the lens. This gradient transition creates smooth impedance matching between different regions, eliminating abrupt boundary surfaces that cause reflection. The continuous parameter variation ensures electromagnetic waves pass through without significant reflection interference or energy loss.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The metamaterial panel design improves the converging performance of the antenna, reduces energy loss, and allows for a smaller overall size, increasing the transmission distance and antenna performance while being cost-effective and simple to produce.
Implementation Method 1
the convergence of the lens is achieved by refraction of a spherical shape of the lens
Implementation Method 2
a lens antenna is an antenna that consists of a lens and a radiator placed on the focal point of the lens, and uses the lens to converge electromagnetic waves radiated from the radiator based on a converging property of the lens
Implementation Method 3
When the electromagnetic waves pass through boundary surfaces of different media, a phenomenon of partial reflection may happen. Usually, the larger the difference in electromagnetic parameter (permittivity or conductivity) between two media, the larger the reflection is.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention discloses a back-feed microwave antenna, which comprises a radiation source, a first metamaterial panel for diverging electromagnetic waves emitted by the radiation source, and a second metamaterial panel, which has a electromagnetic wave converging function and is used to convert the electromagnetic wave diverged by the first metamaterial panel into plane waves. In the present invention, the antenna is manufactured by adopting the metamaterial principle, so that the antenna is free from the limitations of conventional convex lens shape, concave lens shape and paraboloid shape. Through the present invention, the antenna may be in a shape of panel or in any shape, is smaller in thickness and volume, more convenient in processing and manufacturing, and have the beneficial effects of being low in cost and good in gain effect.