Broadband polarized antenna including magnetodielectric material, isoimpedance loading, and associated methods

• US 7,573,431 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parsche, Francis Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Wimer; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/352,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20070188397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 343/788, 343/841, 343/842, 343/909, 343/872, 343/873
• US Class Current: 343/788
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/362 for broadside radiating helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/446 the radiating element being at the centre of one or more rings of auxiliary elements

Abstract

The broadband small antenna has equal magnetic electric proportions, circular polarization, and an isoimpedance magnetodielectric (μ_r≡∈_r) shell for controlled wave expansion. The shell is a radome without bandwidth limitation, with reflectionless boundary conditions to free space, providing loading and broad bandwidth antenna size miniaturization. The system is spherically structured based upon size, quality (Q) and bandwidth.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a polarized antenna element; and

an isoimpedance magnetodielectric layer surrounding the polarized antenna element on all sides.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the polarized antenna element comprises a circularly polarized spherical antenna element.

3. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein the circularly polarized spherical antenna element comprises a Wheeler coil.

4. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the isoimpedance magnetodielectric layer comprises a magnetodielectric spherical body.

5. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the isoimpedance magnetodielectric layer comprises a ferromagnetic material.

6. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the isoimpedance magnetodielectric layer comprises an iron oxide.

7. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the isoimpedance magnetodielectric layer comprises light nickel zinc ferrite.

8. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the isoimpedance magnetodielectric layer comprises magnetite.

9. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the isoimpedance magnetodielectric layer comprises:

at least one of glass microspheres and styrene foams;

at least one off powdered iron and thin film iron flakes; and

at least one high-k dielectric.

10. An antenna comprising:

a circularly polarized spherical antenna element;

an isoimpedance magnetodielectric spherical body surrounding the circularly polarized spherical antenna element; and

an antenna feed structure connected to the circularly polarized spherical antenna element.

11. The antenna according to claim 10, wherein the circularly polarized spherical antenna element comprises a Wheeler coil.

12. The antenna according to claim 10, wherein the isoimpedance magnetodielectric sphere comprises a ferromagnetic material.

13. The antenna according to claim 10, wherein the isoimpedance magnetodielectric sphere comprises:

at least one of glass microspheres and styrene foams;

at least one of powdered iron and thin film iron flakes; and

at least one high-k dielectric.

14. A method of making an antenna comprising:

providing a rotationally polarized antenna element; and

surrounding the rotationally polarized antenna element on all sides with an isoimpedance magnetodielectric layer.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein providing the rotationally polarized antenna element comprises providing a circularly polarized spherical antenna element.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein providing the circularly polarized spherical antenna element comprises providing a Wheeler coil.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein surrounding comprises surrounding the rotationally polarized antenna element with an isoimpedance magnetodielectric spherical body.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein surrounding comprises surrounding the rotationally polarized antenna element with a ferrimagnetic material.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein surrounding comprises surrounding the rotationally polarized antenna element with an iron oxide.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein surrounding comprises surrounding the rotationally polarized antenna element with light nickel zinc ferrite.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein surrounding comprises surrounding the rotationally polarized antenna element with magnetite.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein surrounding comprises surrounding the rotationally polarized antenna element with:

at least one of glass microspheres and styrene foams;

at least one of powdered iron and thin film iron flakes; and

at least one high-k dielectric.

23. An antenna comprising:

a circularly polarized spherical antenna element; and

an isoimpedance magnetodielectric layer surrounding the circularly polarized spherical antenna element.

24. The antenna according to claim 23, wherein the circularly polarized spherical antenna element comprises a Wheeler coil.

25. The antenna according to claim 23, wherein the isoimpedance magnetodielectric layer comprises a magnetodielectric spherical body.

26. The antenna according to claim 23, wherein the isoimpedance magnetodielectric layer comprises at least one of a ferromagnetic material, an iron oxide, a light nickel zinc ferrite, and magnetite.

27. An antenna comprising:

a polarized antenna element; and

a magnetodielectric layer surrounding the polarized antenna element and comprising,

at least one of glass microspheres and styrene foams,

at least one of powdered iron and thin film iron flakes, and

at least one high-k dielectric.

28. The antenna according to claim 27, wherein the magnetodielectric layer comprises a magnetodielectric spherical body.

29. The antenna according to claim 27, wherein the magnetodielectric layer comprises at least one of a ferromagnetic material, an iron oxide, a light nickel zinc ferrite, and magnetite.