SUB-NYQUIST HOLOGRAPHIC APERTURE ANTENNA CONFIGURED TO DEFINE SELECTABLE, ARBITRARY COMPLEX ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS

• US 20150171512A1
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund II, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Chen, Pai-Yen, Driscoll, Tom, Ebadi, Siamak, Hunt, John Desmond, Landy, Nathan Ingle, Machado, Melroy, Perque, Milton Jr., Smith, David R., Urzhumov, Yaroslav A.
• Application Number:
  US14/257,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20150171512A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/002 said selective devices being reconfigurable or tunable, e.g. using switches or diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/148 with means for varying the reflecting properties H01Q15/147 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/067 using a hologram
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/00 Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system means for positioning H01Q1/125
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/247 by switching different parts of a primary active element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/46 Active lenses or reflecting arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices

Abstract

Described embodiments include an antenna, method, and an apparatus. The antenna includes a sub-Nyquist holographic aperture configured to define at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on a surface with tangential wavenumbers up to the free-space wavenumber (k₀). In an embodiment, the antenna is configured to beam radiofrequency electromagnetic power. In an embodiment, the antenna is configured to transfer radiofrequency electromagnetic power.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a sub-Nyquist holographic aperture configured to define at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on a surface with tangential wavenumbers up to the free-space wavenumber (k₀).

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the holographic aperture includes a sub-Nyquist transmission hologram-defined aperture.

3. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the holographic aperture includes a sub-Nyquist reflection hologram-defined aperture.

5. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the holographic aperture includes an amplitude modulation hologram-defined aperture.

11. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the holographic aperture includes a holographic aperture configured to dynamically define a series of at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on a surface.

18. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the antenna is configured to beam radiofrequency electromagnetic power.

19. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the antenna is configured to transfer radiofrequency electromagnetic power.

21. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the sub-Nyquist holographic aperture is configured to define a selected arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field in response to respective electrical control signal.

22. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the surface is a second surface of a generally planar structure, the planar structure including a first surface configured to receive incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves, the sub-Nyquist holographic aperture configured to coherently reconstruct the incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves responsive to a definition on the second surface of a selected one of the at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, and the second surface configured to transmit the coherent reconstruction of the incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves.

23. The antenna of claim 22, wherein the coherent reconstruction includes formation of an antenna gain pattern defined by the selected arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field.

26. The antenna of claim 22, wherein the incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves include radiofrequency electromagnetic waves incident to the surface at an oblique angle.

27. The antenna of claim 22, wherein the incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves include incident waveguide-propagated radiofrequency electromagnetic waves.

29. The antenna of claim 22, wherein the incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves include a radiofrequency electromagnetic waves leaking from a planar waveguide.

32. The antenna of claim 22, wherein the transmitted coherent reconstruction includes a transmitted or radiated free space propagating coherent reconstruction of the incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves.

37. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the surface is a second surface of a generally planar structure, the planar structure including a first surface, the second surface configured to receive an incident free-space propagating radiofrequency electromagnetic waves, the sub-Nyquist holographic aperture configured to coherently reconstruct the incident free-space radiofrequency electromagnetic waves responsive to a definition on the second surface of a selected one of the at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, and the first surface configured to transmit the coherent reconstruction of the incident free-space propagating radiofrequency electromagnetic waves.

46. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the sub-Nyquist holographic aperture includes a plurality of individual electromagnetic wave scattering elements distributed on or proximate to the surface, each electromagnetic wave scattering element having a respective electronically controllable or activatable electromagnetic response to an incident radiofrequency electromagnetic wave, and the plurality of individual electromagnetic wave scattering elements are electronically controllable in combination to define the at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on the surface.

47. The antenna of claim 46, wherein the antenna includes an electromagnetic waveguide structure, and wherein the plurality of individual electromagnetic wave scattering elements are distributed along the waveguide structure with an inter-element spacing substantially less than a free-space wavelength of a highest operating frequency of the antenna, each electromagnetic wave scattering element having a respective activatable electromagnetic response to a guided wave propagating in the waveguide structure, and the plurality of individual electromagnetic wave scattering elements operable in combination to define the at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on the surface.

63. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the sub-Nyquist holographic aperture includes a first sub-Nyquist holographic aperture and a second sub-Nyquist holographic aperture configured in combination to define the at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on the surface.

67. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the holographic aperture and the surface are configured to receive an incident radiofrequency electromagnetic wave.

70. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the holographic aperture and the surface are configured to transmit radiofrequency electromagnetic waves into free space, the transmitted radiofrequency electromagnetic waves coherently reconstructed by the sub-Nyquist holographic aperture from received incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves and having a radiation pattern defined by a selected one of the at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields.

71. The antenna of claim 1, wherein each arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field respectively describes a far-field electromagnetic radiation pattern.

72. The antenna of claim 71, wherein each arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field respectively produces a radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation pattern.

76. The antenna of claim 71, wherein each arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field respectively describes a radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation pattern configured to transfer electromagnetic power to a target device in the far-field region.

83. The antenna of claim 1, wherein each arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field respectively describes a radiative near-field electromagnetic radiation pattern configured to transfer electromagnetic power to a target device.

87. The antenna of claim 1, wherein each arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field respectively describes a reactive near-field electromagnetic radiation pattern transversely localizable to transfer electromagnetic power to a target device.

93. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the holographic aperture includes at least two independently operable sub-Nyquist holographic apertures, each sub-Nyquist holographic aperture respectively configured to define the at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on a portion of the surface.

94. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the antenna includes radiofrequency beam-forming sub-Nyquist holographic aperture configured to define the at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on a surface.

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95. A method comprising:

defining a selected arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field on a surface, the selected arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field having tangential wavenumbers up to the free-space wavenumber (k₀);

receiving incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves; and

radiating radiofrequency electromagnetic waves coherently reconstructed from the incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves by the selected arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field defined on the surface.

96. The method of claim 95, wherein the defining includes defining a selected arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field on the surface using a sub-Nyquist holographic aperture.

98. The method of claim 95, wherein the receiving includes receiving incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves on the surface.

99. The method of claim 95, wherein the radiating includes radiating the coherently reconstructed radiofrequency electromagnetic waves from the surface.

101. The method of claim 95, further comprising:

selecting the arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field from at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields with tangential wavenumbers up to the free-space wavenumber (k₀).

115. The method of claim 95, further comprising:

defining another selected arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field on the surface, the other arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field selected from at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields; and

radiating additional radiofrequency electromagnetic waves coherently reconstructed from the incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves by the other selected, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field.

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116. An apparatus comprising:

means for selecting an arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field from at least two selectable, arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic fields having tangential wavenumbers up to the free-space wavenumber (k₀);

means for defining the selected arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field on a surface of an antenna;

means for receiving incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves; and

means for radiating radiofrequency electromagnetic waves coherently reconstructed from the incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves by the selected arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field defined on the surface.

117. A method comprising:

receiving incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves at a first surface of a generally planar structure including the first surface and a second surface;

defining a selected arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field on the second surface, the selected arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field having tangential wavenumbers up to the free-space wavenumber (k₀); and

radiating from the second surface radiofrequency electromagnetic waves coherently reconstructed from the incident radiofrequency electromagnetic waves by the selected arbitrary complex radiofrequency electromagnetic field.

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