Reconfigurable radio frequency (RF) surface with optical bias for RF antenna and RF circuit applications

• US 7,965,249 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Paulsen, Lee M., Doane, Jonathan P., Wolf, Jeremiah D., Lower, Nathan P., West, James B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens; Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, CHUC
• Application Number:
  US12/150,139
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/755, 343/853, 343/909, 343/745, 343/749, 343/778, 343/815, 343/876
• US Class Current: 343/745
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2676 Optically controlled phased array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 with particular tuning means

Abstract

The present invention is a Radio Frequency (RF) apparatus. The RF apparatus may include a layer of photoconductive material. The RF apparatus may further include a plurality of conductive patches which are disposed within the layer of photoconductive material. The RF apparatus may further include a generating layer. The generating layer may be operatively coupled to the layer of photoconductive material and may be configured for generating light. The generating layer may further be configured for providing the generated light to the layer of photoconductive material. The generated light may be configurable for being provided at a selectable intensity and in a selectable pattern for causing the layer of photoconductive material to be a dynamically controllable optical switch. The dynamically controllable optical switch may be configured for providing a connection between conductive patches included in the plurality of conductive patches.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a photoconductive layer for a Radio Frequency (RF) antenna;

disposing a plurality of conductive pixels at least partially within the photoconductive layer of the RF antenna;

generating light in a generating layer of the RF antenna;

generating an antenna mask in the generating layer of the RF antenna; and

projecting a light image onto the photoconductive layer of the RF antenna, the projected light image being derived from the generated light and the generated antenna mask,

wherein the projected light image is configurable for being projected at a selectable intensity and in a selectable pattern for causing the photoconductive layer to be a dynamically controllable optical switch, the dynamically controllable optical switch being configured for biasing connectivity between a first conductive pixel included in the plurality of conductive pixels and a second conductive pixel included in the plurality of conductive pixels.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive pixels is a generally rectangular-shaped grid of metallic squares.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the grid of metallic squares forms a pixilated aperture for the RF antenna.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the first conductive pixel and the second conductive pixel is a source patch of the RF antenna.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dynamically controllable optical switch is configured for being placed into an on state and an off state based on the projected light image.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the dynamically controllable optical switch is configured for being placed into a partial on state based on the projected light image.

7. A Planar Radio Frequency (RF) Programmable Grid Antenna, comprising:

a photoconductive layer;

a plurality of conductive metallic squares, the plurality of conductive metallic squares being disposed at least partially within the photoconductive layer;

a generating layer, the generating layer being operatively coupled to the photoconductive layer, the generating layer configured for generating light and generating an antenna mask, the generating layer further configured for projecting a light pattern onto the photoconductive layer, the projected light pattern being derived from the generated light and the generated antenna mask;

an optically transparent Printed Circuit Board (PCB) material layer, the optically transparent PCB material layer being disposed between the layer of photoconductive material and the generating layer; and

an optically transparent conductive ground layer, the optically transparent conductive ground layer being disposed between the optically transparent PCB material layer and the generating layer,

wherein the light pattern is selectable and is configurable for being provided at a selectable intensity for causing the photoconductive layer to be a dynamically controllable optical switch, the dynamically controllable optical switch being configured for biasing connectivity between adjacent metallic squares included in the plurality of metallic squares.

8. A Planar Radio Frequency (RF) Programmable Grid Antenna as claimed in claim 7, wherein the antenna is configured for providing broad band frequency coverage at a value included in the range of 1 Gigahertz (GHz) through 50 GHz.

9. A Planar Radio Frequency (RF) Programmable Grid Antenna as claimed in claim 8, wherein each metallic square included in the plurality of metallic squares has a diameter value included in the range of 0.1 nanometer through 1 centimeter.