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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10811776-B2
Application number	US-201916563041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2019
Priority date	Oct 28, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) includes: 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); and, 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 two-element homotopy group defined by a family of closed loop paths that are contractible at a single point, and by a family of closed loop paths that are not contractible at a single point.

First claim

We claim:

1. 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);
a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials;
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 two-element homotopy group defined by a family of closed loop paths that are contractible at a single point, and by a family of the closed loop paths that are not contractible at a single point;
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 of claim 1 , wherein:
the first volume V( 1 ) has a vertically oriented at least partial ellipsoidal shape.

3. The DRA of claim 2 , 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.

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

5. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein:
the TM radiating mode in the central geometrical path is completely suppressed.

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

7. The DRA according to claim 6 , 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.

8. The DRA according to claim 7 , 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 ).

9. 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);
a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials;
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 two-element homotopy group defined by a family of closed loop paths that are contractible at a single point, and by a family of the closed loop paths that are not contractible at a single point; and
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.

10. The DRA of claim 9 , wherein:
the TE half wavelength resonance is defined by πR√(ε_r), where R is an overall height of the DRA, and εr 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√(ε_Air)+πR/2√(ε_r), where εair is the permittivity of air.

11. The DRA of claim 9 , wherein:
the first volume V( 1 ) has a vertically oriented at least partial ellipsoidal shape.

12. The DRA of claim 11 , 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.

13. The DRA of claim 9 , wherein:
the first volume V( 1 ) has a dielectric constant equal to that of air.

14. 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);
a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials;
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 two-element homotopy group defined by a family of closed loop paths that are contractible at a single point, and by a family of the closed loop paths that are not contractible at a single point and
a volume V(A) of one or more materials disposed within the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials, the volume V(A) being disposed diametrically opposing the signal feed and at least partially embedded in the same volume V(i) of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials that the signal feed is disposed in or is in signal communication with, the volume V(A) having less volume than the volume V(i) that it is at least partially embedded in, the volume V(A) having a dielectric constant that is different from the dielectric constant of the volume V(i) that it is at least partially embedded in.

15. The DRA according to claim 14 , wherein the volume V(A) is completely 100% embedded in the volume V(i) that it is embedded in.

16. The DRA according to claim 14 , wherein the volume V(A) is disposed on the ground structure.

17. The DRA according to claim 14 , wherein:
the volume V(A) has a height that is equal to or greater than one-tenth the height of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials, and is equal to or less than one-third the height of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials.

18. The DRA according to claim 14 , wherein the volume V(A) has a dielectric constant that is greater than the dielectric constant of the volume V(i) that it is embedded in.

19. The DRA according to claim 14 , wherein the volume V(A) is a metal structure.

20. The DRA according to claim 14 , wherein the volume V(A) is air.

21. The DRA according to

Assignees

• Rogers Corp

Inventors

• Pance Kristi
• Sprentall Karl E
• Williams Shawn P

Classifications

• H01Q21/061

  Two dimensional planar arrays · CPC title

• H01Q19/10

  using reflecting surfaces · CPC title

• H01Q15/14

  Reflecting surfaces; Equivalent structures {(electromagnetic shields H01Q1/526)} · CPC title

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title

• H01Q1/422

  comprising two or more layers of dielectric material (H01Q1/425 takes precedence) · CPC title