Equal phase and equal phased slope metamaterial transmission lines

• US 9,088,059 B1
• Filed: 05/28/2013
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Rockway, John D., Church, Justin A., Meloling, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Takaoka, Dean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Alan
• Application Number:
  US13/903,522
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 333/112, 333/136, 333/204, 333/236, 333/246, 343/745, 343/749, 343/700.MS
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/003 Manufacturing lines with conductors on a substrate, e.g. strip lines, slot lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/08 Microstrips; Strip lines
• 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 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence

Abstract

Methods for establishing metamaterial transmission line (MTM TL'"'"'s) for a phased array antenna can include the initial step of defining a defining a Composite Right/Left Hand (CRLH) CRLH unit cell architecture. A family of unit cells using CRLH TL microstrip architecture can be constructed so that each of the CRLH unit cells have the same physical length, but different cell phases and cell phase slopes. To do this, the stub length of each CRLH unit cell can be varied. Once the family of CRLH unit cells is constructed, different numbers of different CRLH unit cells from the family can be combined with different numbers of conventional right hand TL'"'"'s, which results in TL'"'"'s for a phased array antenna that each have the same overall phase and overall phase slope not only at the design frequency f₀, but over the entire design frequency band for the antenna.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a plurality of transmission lines (TL'"'"'s) for a phased array antenna having a design frequency f₀ and a design frequency band, said TL'"'"'s each having an overall phase and an overall phase slope over said frequency band, said method comprising the steps of:

A) defining a Composite Right/Left Hand (CRLH) unit cell, said CRLH unit cell having a CRLH architecture;

B) constructing a family of said CRLH unit cells using said CRLH architecture, said CRLH unit cells each having a physical length, a cell phase and a cell phase slope, said constructing step being accomplished so that said CRLH unit cells have substantially the same said physical length, but different said cell phases and different said cell phase slopes; and

,

C) for each said TL of said plurality, combining at least one of said family from said step B) with at least one Right Hand (RH) unit cell, so that each said TL in said plurality has substantially the same said overall phase and substantially the same said overall phase slope over said frequency band.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said design frequency is above 1 GHz and said architecture is microstrip architecture.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said microstrip architecture further comprises a dielectric insulator positioned between a metal ground phase layer and a metal inductor stub.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said step B) further comprises the steps of:

B1) constructing a first said CRLH unit cell having a phase of zero degrees, said first CRLH unit cell having a cell geometry comprising a first cell length and a first stub length; and

,

B2) constructing other of said CRLH unit cells; and

said other CRLH unit cells each having a cell length that is substantially equal to said first cell length, each said other CRLH unit cells further having a stub length that is different from said first stub length.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each said RH unit cell has a physical length, wherein is TL from said plurality has an overall physical length, and wherein said step C) is accomplished so that each said TL from said plurality has a different said overall physical length.

6. A plurality of metamaterial transmission lines (TL'"'"'s) for a phased array antenna, said phased array antenna having a design frequency f₀ and a design frequency band, each said TL having an overall phase and an overall phase slope across said frequency band, each said TL comprising:

at least one right hand (RH) unit cell;

at least two inhomogenous composite right/left hand (CRLH) unit cells; and

,

for each said TL, said at least one RH unit cell and said at least two CRLH unit cells being combined so that each said TL in said plurality has a substantially uniform said overall phase and said overall phase slope.

7. The plurality of claim 6 wherein said CRLH cells have a cell architecture, said design frequency f₀ is above 1 GHz, and said cell architecture is microstrip architecture.

8. The plurality of claim 7, wherein said microstrip architecture further comprises a dielectric insulator positioned between a metal ground phase layer and a metal inductor stub.

9. The plurality of claim 6 wherein each said CRLH TL has a geometry defined by a physical length and a stub length, and wherein each said stub lengths are inhomogenous.