Metamaterials for surfaces and waveguides
First Claim
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a continuous conducting surface having a plurality of openings, each opening complemented by a discrete conducting patch separated from the continuous conducting surface, the plurality of openings and patches providing an effective permeability in a direction parallel to the continuous conducting surface, wherein the effective permeability is less than zero;
wherein the continuous conducting surface is a bounding surface of a parallel plate waveguide structure, and the effective permeability is an effective permeability for transverse electromagnetic (TEM) waves that propagate within the waveguide structure and parallel to the continuous conducting surface; and
wherein the plurality of openings and patches provides a spatially-varying effective refractive index for the TEM waves.
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Abstract
Complementary metamaterial elements provide an effective permittivity and/or permeability for surface structures and/or waveguide structures. The complementary metamaterial resonant elements may include Babinet complements of “split ring resonator” (SRR) and “electric LC” (ELC) metamaterial elements. In some approaches, the complementary metamaterial elements are embedded in the bounding surfaces of planar waveguides, e.g. to implement waveguide based gradient index lenses for beam steering/focusing devices, antenna array feed structures, etc.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a continuous conducting surface having a plurality of openings, each opening complemented by a discrete conducting patch separated from the continuous conducting surface, the plurality of openings and patches providing an effective permeability in a direction parallel to the continuous conducting surface, wherein the effective permeability is less than zero; wherein the continuous conducting surface is a bounding surface of a parallel plate waveguide structure, and the effective permeability is an effective permeability for transverse electromagnetic (TEM) waves that propagate within the waveguide structure and parallel to the continuous conducting surface; and wherein the plurality of openings and patches provides a spatially-varying effective refractive index for the TEM waves.
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2. An apparatus, comprising:
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a continuous conducting surface having a plurality of openings, each opening complemented by a discrete conducting patch separated from the continuous conducting surface, the plurality of openings and patches providing an effective permeability in a direction parallel to the continuous conducting surface, wherein the effective permeability in the direction parallel to the continuous conducting surface is a first effective permeability in a first direction parallel to the continuous conducting surface, and the plurality of openings and patches further provides a second effective permeability in a second direction parallel to the continuous conducting surface and perpendicular to the first direction; and wherein the continuous conducting surface is a bounding surface of a parallel plate waveguide structure, and the effective permeability is an effective permeability for transverse electromagnetic (TEM) waves that propagate within the waveguide structure and parallel to the continuous conducting surface; and wherein the plurality of openings and patches provides a spatially-varying effective refractive index for the TEM waves. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus, comprising:
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a continuous conducting surface having a plurality of openings, each opening complemented by a discrete conducting patch separated from the continuous conducting surface, the plurality of openings and patches providing a spatially-varying effective refractive index; wherein the continuous conducting surface is a bounding surface of a parallel plate waveguide structure, and the spatially-varying effective refractive index is a spatially-varying effective refractive index for transverse electromagnetic (TEM) waves that propagate within the waveguide structure and parallel to the continuous conducting surface; and wherein the waveguide structure defines an input port for receiving input electromagnetic energy, and an output port for transmitting output electromagnetic energy. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An apparatus, comprising:
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a continuous conducting surface having a plurality of adjustable openings, each adjustable opening complemented by a discrete conducting patch separated from the continuous conducting surface, the plurality of adjustable openings and patches providing adjustable effective medium parameters, wherein the continuous conducting surface is a bounding surface of a parallel plate waveguide structure, and the adjustable effective medium parameters are adjustable effective medium parameters for transverse electromagnetic (TEM) waves that propagate within the waveguide structure and parallel to the continuous conducting surface.
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30. A method, comprising:
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selecting a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) function; and determining respective physical parameters for a plurality of openings in a continuous conducting surface, each opening complemented by a discrete conducting patch separated from the continuous conducting surface, providing an effective permeability in a direction parallel to the continuous conducting surface, wherein the effective permeability is less than zero, positionable in the continuous conducting surface to provide the TEM function as an effective medium response, wherein the TEM function is a waveguide beam-steering function for a guided TEM wave that propagates parallel to the continuous conducting surface, wherein the continuous conducting surface is a bounding surface of a parallel plate waveguide structure, and wherein the plurality of openings and patches provides a spatially-varying effective refractive index for TEM waves. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A method, comprising:
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selecting a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) function; and determining respective physical parameters for a plurality of openings in a continuous conducting surface, each opening complemented by a discrete conducting patch separated from the continuous conducting surface, providing an effective permeability in a direction parallel to the continuous conducting surface, wherein the effective permeability is less than zero, positionable in the continuous conducting surface to provide the TEM function as an effective medium response, wherein the TEM function is a waveguide beam-focusing function for a guided TEM wave that propagates parallel to the continuous conducting surface, wherein the continuous conducting surface is a bounding surface of a parallel plate waveguide structure, and wherein the plurality of openings and patches provides a spatially-varying effective refractive index for TEM waves. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A method, comprising:
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selecting a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) function; and determining respective physical parameters for a plurality of openings in a continuous conducting surface, each opening complemented by a discrete conducting patch separated from the continuous conducting surface, providing an effective permeability in a direction parallel to the continuous conducting surface, wherein the effective permeability is less than zero, positionable in the continuous conducting surface to provide the TEM function as an effective medium response, wherein the TEM function is an antenna array phase-shifting function for the plurality of openings and patches fed by a guided TEM wave that propagates parallel to the continuous conducting surface, wherein the continuous conducting surface is a bounding surface of a parallel plate waveguide structure, and wherein the plurality of openings and patches providing a spatially-varying effective refractive index for TEM waves.
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35. A method, comprising:
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selecting a pattern of electromagnetic medium parameters; and for a continuous conducting surface having a plurality of openings, each opening complemented by a discrete conducting patch separated from the continuous conducting surface, providing an effective permeability in a direction parallel to the continuous conducting surface, wherein the effective permeability is less than zero, with respective adjustable physical parameters, determining respective values of the respective adjustable physical parameters to provide a pattern of effective electromagnetic medium parameters that corresponds to the pattern of electromagnetic medium parameters, wherein the continuous conducting surface is a bounding surface of a parallel plate waveguide structure, and the pattern of effective electromagnetic medium parameters is a pattern of effective electromagnetic medium parameters for transverse electromagnetic (TEM) waves that propagate within the waveguide structure and parallel to the continuous conducting surface, and wherein the plurality of openings and patches provides a spatially-varying effective refractive index for the TEM waves. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. A method, comprising:
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selecting a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) function; and for a continuous conducting surface having a plurality of openings, each opening complemented by a discrete conducting patch separated from the continuous conducting surface, providing an effective permeability in a direction parallel to the continuous conducting surface, wherein the effective permeability is less than zero, with respective adjustable physical parameters, determining respective values of the respective adjustable physical parameters to provide the TEM function as an effective medium response, wherein the continuous conducting surface is a bounding surface of a parallel plate waveguide structure, and the effective medium response is an effective medium response for transverse electromagnetic (TEM) waves that propagate within the waveguide structure and parallel to the continuous conducting surface, and wherein the plurality of openings and patches provides a spatially-varying effective refractive index for TEM waves. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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Specification