Method and apparatus for dynamically processing an electromagnetic beam

• US 8,811,914 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Britz, David Michael, Miller, Robert Raymond II
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesgh
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANDIFORD, DEVAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/858,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20110098033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.4
• US Class Current: 455/67.16
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/002 said selective devices being reconfigurable or tunable, e.g. using switches or diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0026 said selective devices having a stacked geometry or having multiple layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0086 said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/44 varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing a terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam are disclosed. For example, the method receives the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam via a metamaterial having a plurality of addressable magnetic elements, where a resonant frequency of each of the plurality of addressable magnetic elements is capable of being programmably changed via an adjustment, and activates selectively a subset of the plurality of addressable magnetic elements to manipulate the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam.

Claims

1. A method for processing a terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam, comprising:

receiving the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam via a plurality of stacked layers, wherein each one of the plurality of stacked layers comprises a plurality of metamaterial layers stacked in a three dimensional matrix, wherein each one of the plurality of stacked layers produces a different wave front effecting property, each one of the plurality of metamaterial layers having a plurality of addressable magnetic elements arranged in a matrix comprising a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, where a resonant frequency of each of the plurality of addressable magnetic elements is capable of being programmably changed to form a metamaterial hologram;

activating, by a processor, a subset of the plurality of addressable magnetic elements to form the metamaterial hologram in each one of the plurality of metamaterial layers in a first stacked layer of the plurality of stacked layers;

and manipulating, by the processor, the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam with the metamaterial hologram of each one of the plurality of metamaterial layers through the first stacked layer of the plurality of stacked layers, wherein the manipulating comprises performing pre-distortion of an outgoing wave front to compensate for a measured atmospheric distortion that occurs after transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising manipulating in a second stacked layer of the plurality of stacked layers to cause a change in a path of the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising manipulating in a second stacked layer of the plurality of stacked layers to cause a change in a shape of the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising manipulating in a second stacked layer of the plurality of stacked layers to cause a change in a focus of the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising manipulating in a second stacked layer of the plurality of stacked layers to cause a change in a timing of the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising manipulating in a second stacked layer of the plurality of stacked layers to cause a change in a frequency of the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of addressable magnetic elements comprises a plurality of addressable split-ring resonators.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of addressable split-ring resonators is independently addressable.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each addressable split-ring resonator comprises a varactor device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each varactor device exhibits a capacitance proportional to a programmably-applied voltage.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each programmably-applied voltage of each varactor is stored by a capacitor connected to a field effect transistor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each varactor'"'"'s bias is applied through two resistors connected to the capacitor for isolating a DC bias.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is in a base station.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is in a mobile endpoint device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a communication link using the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the manipulating is based on a signal strength of the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam.

17. An apparatus for manipulating a terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam, comprising:

a three-dimensional matrix comprising a plurality of stacked layers, wherein each one of the plurality of stacked layers comprises a stack of programmable two-dimensional metamaterial layers of a plurality of addressable magnetic elements arranged in a matrix comprising a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, where a resonant frequency of each of the plurality of addressable magnetic elements is capable of being programmably changed to form a metamaterial hologram, wherein each one of the plurality of stacked layers produce a different wave front effecting property; and

a controller coupled to the three-dimensional matrix, wherein the controller activates a subset of the plurality of addressable magnetic elements of each one of the programmable two-dimensional metamaterial layers of a first stacked layer of the plurality of stacked layers to form the metamaterial hologram on each one of the programmable two-dimensional metamaterial layers that manipulates the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam, wherein the manipulating comprises performing pre-distortion of an outgoing wave front to compensate for a measured atmospheric distortion that occurs after transmission.