Waveguide and communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11677130-B2
Application number	US-202117508341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2021
Priority date	Oct 26, 2017
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

A waveguide for receiving an incident electromagnetic wave (EMW) having an operating frequency Γ includes an array of spaced apart unit cells arranged along the waveguide. The unit cells are configured to resonantly couple to the incident EMW and radiate an EMW at the operating frequency propagating inside and along the waveguide. Each unit cell is configured to couple to the incident EMW with a first coupling efficiency and includes a dielectric body configured to couple to the incident EMW with a second coupling efficiency and one or more metal layers disposed on and partially covering the dielectric body. The second coupling efficiency is substantially smaller than the first coupling efficiency. A communication system includes the waveguide and a transceiver configured to emit an EMW having the operating frequency Γ.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A waveguide for receiving an incident electromagnetic wave (EMW) having an operating frequency Γ and comprising an array of spaced apart unit cells arranged along the waveguide, the unit cells configured to resonantly couple to the incident EMW and radiate an EMW at the operating frequency propagating inside and along the waveguide, each unit cell configured to couple to the incident EMW with a first coupling efficiency and comprising:
a dielectric body configured to couple to the incident EMW with a second coupling efficiency; and
one or more metal layers disposed on and partially covering the dielectric body, wherein the second coupling efficiency is substantially smaller than the first coupling efficiency.

2. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the second coupling efficiency is at least 10 times smaller than the first coupling efficiency.

3. The waveguide of claim 2 , wherein the array of spaced apart unit cells is at least partially embedded in a substrate having a first dielectric constant, each dielectric body has a second dielectric constant, the second dielectric constant being greater than the first dielectric constant at the operating frequency Γ.

4. The waveguide of claim 3 , wherein the second dielectric constant is at least 5 times the first dielectric constant at the operating frequency Γ.

5. The waveguide of claim 3 , wherein the first dielectric constant is in a range from about 1.1 to about 5 at the operating frequency Γ, and the second dielectric constant is in a range from about 10 to about 25000 at the operating frequency Γ.

6. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the one or more metal layers comprises a least one layer defining an opening therein to allow at least a partial transmission of an incident electromagnetic wave therethrough.

7. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric body comprises a side comprising a closed first perimeter, and wherein the one or more metal layers comprises a closed loop electrically conductive strip comprising a closed outer second perimeter coextensive with the first perimeter.

8. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the one or more metal layers comprises substantially identical electrically conductive first and second layers disposed on opposite sides of the dielectric body and registered and aligned with each other.

9. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein for each of a plurality of the unit cells in the array of spaced apart unit cells, the unit cell has a first transmission parameter S 1 21 having a lowest resonant frequency Γ1, and the dielectric body of the unit cell has a second transmission parameter S 2 21 having a lowest resonant frequency Γ2, Γ2>Γ1.

10. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein each unit cell has a first transmission parameter S 1 21 having a first resonant frequency Γ3 having a first electric field intensity distribution, and each dielectric body has a second transmission parameter S 2 21 having a lowest resonant frequency Γ2 having a second electric field intensity distribution, the first and second electric field intensity distributions having a same mode profile.

11. The waveguide of claim 10 , wherein the first resonant frequency Γ3 is not a lowest resonant frequency Γ1 of S 1 21.

12. The waveguide of claim 10 , wherein each unit cell in the array of spaced apart unit cells has a first reflection parameter S 1 11, and wherein S 1 11 and S 1 21 are within 10% of each other at the operating frequency Γ of the waveguide.

13. The waveguide of claim 10 , wherein a lowest resonant frequency Γ1 of S 1 21 has a third electric field intensity distribution, and wherein the second and third electric field intensity distributions have different mode profiles.

14. The waveguide of claim 13 , wherein Γ1 is greater than 1 GHz.

15. A communication system comprising:
the waveguide of claim 1 ; and
a transceiver configured to emit an EMW having the operating frequency Γ such that the waveguide receives the emitted EMW.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Company

Inventors

• Kim Jaewon
• Ghosh Dipankar
• Lindsay Craig W
• Stay Matthew S

Classifications

• H01P3/16 Primary

  Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor · CPC title

• H01P3/122 Primary

  Dielectric loaded (not air) · CPC title