Broadband multiple layer dielectric resonator antenna and method of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10476164-B2
Application number	US-201615334726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2015
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A dielectric resonator antenna (DRA), includes: an electrically conductive ground structure; a plurality of volumes of dielectric materials disposed on the ground structure having N volumes, N being an integer equal to or greater than 3, disposed to form successive and sequential layered volumes V(i), i being an integer from 1 to N, wherein volume V(1) forms an innermost volume, wherein a successive volume V(i+1) forms a layered shell disposed over and at least partially embedding volume V(i), wherein volume V(N) at least partially embeds all volumes V(1) to V(N−1); and a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials.

First claim

We claim:

1. A dielectric resonator antenna (DRA), comprising:
a plurality of volumes of dielectric materials comprising N volumes, N being an integer equal to or greater than 3, disposed to form successive and sequential layered volumes V(i), i being an integer from 1 to N, wherein volume V(1) forms an innermost volume, wherein a successive volume V(i+1) forms a layered shell disposed over and at least partially embedding volume V(i), wherein volume V(N) at least partially embeds all volumes V(1) to V(N−1);
wherein the DRA when excited via an electrical signal is configured to produce a far field 3D radiation pattern that occupies a topological space corresponding to a single element homotopy group defined by a family of closed loop paths that are each contractible at a single point within the 3D radiation pattern;
wherein a peripheral geometrical path at a periphery of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials has a dielectric constant that supports a TM radiating mode in the peripheral geometrical path; and
wherein a central geometrical path within the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials has a dielectric constant that suppresses the TM radiating mode in the central geometrical path.

2. The DRA according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an electrically conductive ground structure;
a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials; and
wherein the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials are disposed on the ground structure.

3. A dielectric resonator antenna (DRA), comprising:
an electrically conductive ground structure;
a plurality of volumes of dielectric materials disposed on the ground structure comprising N volumes, N being an integer equal to or greater than 3, disposed to form successive and sequential layered volumes V(i), i being an integer from 1 to N, wherein volume V(1) forms an innermost volume, wherein a successive volume V(i+1) forms a layered shell disposed over and at least partially embedding volume V(i), wherein volume V(N) at least partially embeds all volumes V(1) to V(N−1); and
a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials;
wherein a peripheral geometrical path at a periphery of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials has a dielectric constant that supports a TM radiating mode in the peripheral geometrical path; and
wherein a central geometrical path within the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials has a dielectric constant that suppresses the TM radiating mode in the central geometrical path.

4. The DRA of claim 3 , wherein:
the DRA when excited by an electrical signal on the signal feed is configured to produce a far field 3D radiation pattern that occupies a topological space corresponding to a single element homotopy group defined by a family of closed loop paths that are each contractible at a single point within the 3D radiation pattern.

5. The DRA of claim 3 , wherein:
the first volume V(1) has a vertically oriented at least partial ellipsoidal shape.

6. The DRA of claim 5 , wherein:
the vertically oriented at least partial ellipsoidal shape of the first volume V(1) is axially aligned with respect to a central z-axis of the plurality of volumes.

7. The DRA of claim 3 , wherein:
the first volume V(1) has a dielectric constant equal to that of air.

8. The DRA of claim 3 , wherein:
the TM radiating mode in the central geometrical path is completely suppressed.

9. The DRA according to claim 3 , wherein:
the first volume V(1) has an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion being wider than the upper portion.

10. The DRA according to claim 9 , wherein the upper portion has a vertically oriented at least partial ellipsoidal shape, and the lower portion has a tapered shape that transitions narrow-to-wide from the at least partial ellipsoidal shape to the ground structure.

11. The DRA according to claim 10 , wherein the height of the tapered shape is equal to or greater than one-tenth the height of volume V(1) and equal to or less than one-half the height of volume V(1).

12. A dielectric resonator antenna (DRA), comprising:
an electrically conductive ground structure;
a plurality of volumes of dielectric materials disposed on the ground structure comprising N volumes, N being an integer equal to or greater than 3, disposed to form successive and sequential layered volumes V(i), i being an integer from 1 to N, wherein volume V(1) forms an innermost volume, wherein a successive volume V(i+1) forms a layered shell disposed over and at least partially embedding volume V(i), wherein volume V(N) at least partially embeds all volumes V(1) to V(N−1); and
a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials;
wherein the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials have a first electrical path with a first path length defined by a TE half wavelength resonance, and have a second geometrical path with a second path length defined by a TM half wavelength resonance, a ratio of the first path length to the second path length being equal to or greater than 1.6.

13. The DRA of claim 12 , wherein:
the TE half wavelength resonance is defined by πR√{square root over (ε Air )}+πR/2√{square root over (ε r )}, where R is an overall height of the DRA, and ε air is the relative permittivity at an outer periphery of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials; and
the TM half wavelength resonance is defined by R√{square root over (ε Air )}+πR/2√{square root over (ε r )}, where ε air is the permittivity of air.

14. The DRA according to claim 12 , further comprising:
an electrically conductive fence disposed circumferentially around the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials, and electrically connects with and forms part of the ground structure.

15. The DRA according to claim 14 , wherein:
the electrically conductive fence has a height that is equal to or greater than 0.2 times the overall height of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials and equal to or less than 3 times the overall height of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials.

16. The DRA according to claim 14 , wherein:
the electrically conductive fence has a height that is equal to or greater than 0.2 times the overall height of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials and equal to or less than 0.8 times the overall height of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials.

17. The DRA according to claim 14 , wherein:
the electrically conductive fence has a non-uniform interior shape that provides at least one alignment feature;
the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials has a complementary exterior shape that complements the non-uniform interior shape and the at least one alignment feature of the fence, such that the fence and the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials have a defined and fixed alignment relative to each other via the at least one alignment feature.

18. The DRA of claim 12 , wherein:
the first volume V(1) has an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion being wider than the upper portion.

19. The DRA of claim 12 , wherein:
the DRA when excited by an electrical signal on the signal feed is configured to produce a far field 3D radiation pattern that occupies a topological space corresponding to a single element homotopy group defined by a family of clo

Assignees

• Rogers Corp

Inventors

• Pance Kristi
• Sprentall Karl
• Williams Shawn P

Classifications

• H01Q5/50

  Feeding or matching arrangements for broad-band or multi-band operation · CPC title

• H01Q21/061

  Two dimensional planar arrays · CPC title

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title

• H01Q9/0485 Primary

  Dielectric resonator antennas · CPC title

• H01Q21/30

  Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system · CPC title