Media with controllable refractive properties
First Claim
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a 3D array of circuit elements; and
a plurality of control lines for coupling a remote control device to the circuit elements in the 3D array;
wherein each circuit element is configured to transform from one circuit state to another circuit state in response to a change in a control signal received from one of the control lines; and
wherein a 3D region of the 3D array behaves as a metamaterial at a frequency when the circuit elements of the 3D region are in one set of circuit states and behaves as a normal refractive medium at the same frequency when the circuit elements of the 3D region are in another set of circuit states.
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a 3D array of circuit elements and control lines for coupling a remote control device to the circuit elements in the array. Each circuit element is configured to transform from one circuit state to another circuit state in response to a change in a control signal received from one of the control lines. The 3D array includes a region that behaves as a metamaterial in a selected frequency when the circuit elements of the region are in one set of circuit states and as a normal refractive medium in the selected frequency when the circuit elements of the region are another set of circuit states.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a 3D array of circuit elements; and
a plurality of control lines for coupling a remote control device to the circuit elements in the 3D array;
wherein each circuit element is configured to transform from one circuit state to another circuit state in response to a change in a control signal received from one of the control lines; and
wherein a 3D region of the 3D array behaves as a metamaterial at a frequency when the circuit elements of the 3D region are in one set of circuit states and behaves as a normal refractive medium at the same frequency when the circuit elements of the 3D region are in another set of circuit states. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for wireless transmission or wireless reception, comprising:
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one of a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver, the one of a transmitter and a receiver having a wireless communication frequency; and
a refractive medium located to intercept beams of the electromagnetic radiation one of transmitted from the transmitter and received by the receiver; and
wherein the refractive medium includes a 3D region capable of transforming between first and second states, the 3D region being a metamaterial at the wireless communication frequency when in the first state and being a normal refractive medium at the wireless communication frequency when in the second state; and
wherein the refractive medium is configured to steer one of the intercepted beams between a first direction and the one of a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver when the 3D region is in the first state and is configured to steer one of the intercepted beams between a different second direction and the one of a transmitter and a receiver when the 3D region is in the second state. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for wireless transmission or wireless reception, comprising:
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selecting a first transmission or reception direction for a wireless communication;
transmitting optical or electrical control signals to transform a region of a 3D medium from being in a normal refractive state at a selected frequency to being in a metamaterial state at the frequency; and
then, steering a beam of electromagnetic radiation between the selected first direction and one of a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver, the radiation having the selected frequency, the steering including refracting the beam at an interface between the region and a normal refractive medium. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification