Florida International University

Constantinos L Zekios

Stavros Georgakopoulos

Muhammad Hamza

Nicholas E Russo

Abdul-Sattar Kaddour

Christos Exadaktylos

Akash Biswas

Anastasios Koutinos

Dimitrios Lialios

Dual-polarized ultrawideband antennas and antenna arrays are provided. Fully inverted-L elements (FILEs) can be used as the radiating element in a unit cell antenna, which can be repeated to form an array. The dual-polarized FILE unit cell can include two L-bent elements, which tightly couple to a common shorted via as well as to each other. The same shorted via can be utilized to suppress the well-known common mode resonance.

Dual-polarized ultrawideband antennas and antenna arrays

Ultra-wideband (UWB) arrays that are fully planar are provided. Fully-planar inverted-L element (FILE) arrays that are tightly coupled arrays (TCAs) can realize UWB tightly coupled apertures in the W and higher millimeter wave (mmWave) bands. The unit cell architecture of the FILE array, (which can have any desired size, can be comprised of an inverted-L shaped antenna and a capacitively coupled via-fence.

Planar tightly coupled arrays and antenna elements thereof

Multi-band, microstrip patch antennas, as well as methods of fabricating the same and methods of using the same, are provided. A decoupling technique can be used where strategically etched slots are provided between the tightly coupled microstrip patch antennas, and the appropriate mode excitation of the corresponding patch antennas can be used. The antennas have high isolation between the frequency bands of operation. Multi-band operation can be achieved by exciting a different mode on each contiguous portion of the patch antenna.

Decoupled multi-band microstrip patch antennas

Ultrawideband (UWB) beamforming networks are provided. A UWB beamforming network can have azimuth angle scanning and elevation angle scanning. A modified version of the Blass matrix topology can be used to achieve two-dimensional (2D) scanning behavior. The beamforming network can simultaneously excite a plurality of beams, and each of these beams can be at any chosen frequency inside the bandwidth that the beamformer covers. Each beam can be designed to point at any arbitrary direction, which can be defined by the desired elevation angle and azimuth angle, in the 2D plane.

Ultrawideband beamforming networks

Antennas with increased bandwidth are provided. The bandwidth of an antenna can be increased by feeding it at a single point through N sides with a 1:N power divider, where N is an integer greater than 1. This bandwidth enhancement approach can be applied to different types of antennas, and with this design approach the bandwidth of an antenna can be increased without increasing its footprint.

Antennas with increased bandwidth

Antenna devices are provided, including tightly coupled arrays, transmitarrays, and reflectarrays. An antenna device can include a plurality of substrates each having an antenna element. The substrates can be provided in connected series or in an array. The substrates can be part of an origami array such that the entire array is foldable. The substrates can optionally be attached to a framework that can actuate the substrates to different configurations. By bending, folding, or otherwise repositioning the substrates/array, the electromagnetic characteristics of the antenna device can be easily reconfigured for the desired task.

Arrays with foldable and deployable characteristics

Arrays that are deployable and can change their electromagnetic behavior by changing their shape are provided. The arrays can steer the beam using folding techniques and/or can achieve multiple operation states by folding the structure. An array can include a foldable substrate with antenna elements disposed thereon. In a folded state, a first plurality of unit cells is visible from above the array and can be configured to steer in a particular first direction and/or operate at a particular first frequency. In the unfolded state a second plurality of unit cells, and also possibly the first plurality of unit cells, are visible from above the array and can be configured to steer in a particular second direction and/or operate at a particular second frequency.

Reconfigurable arrays with multiple unit cells

Multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna devices and methods of using and fabricating the same are provided. A MIMO antenna device can include a plurality of substrates each having an antenna element. The substrates can be provided in connected series and can be attached to a framework. The substrates can have alternating style antenna elements, such that a first substrate can have a straight-fed patch and a second substrate adjacent to the first substrate can have a bent-fed patch and a third substrate adjacent to the second substrate, and on an opposite side of the second substrate than the first substrate is, can have a straight-fed patch and so on.

Multiple input multiple output antenna devices

Arrays that are deployable and can change their electromagnetic behavior by changing their shape are provided. An array can include a central panel and at least one foldable panel attached thereto. The central panel can include radiating elements on its upper surface while each foldable panel can have radiating elements on its bottom surface. The array is reconfigurable by each foldable panel being foldable onto the central panel such that its bottom surface then faces upward and covers part or all of the upper surface of the central panel.

Reconfigurable arrays with foldable panels

Passive antenna arrays and methods of using and fabricating the same are provided. A passive antenna array can include a substrate that is capable of being folded and a plurality of antenna elements disposed on the substrate. The substrate can have predefined folding lines such that the substrate can be folded into different positions. The antenna elements can be separated from each other by the folding lines in the substrate. The passive antenna array can exhibit dual band operation and can change its frequency by changing its shape.

Reconfigurable foldable and/or origami passive arrays

Multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna devices and methods of using and fabricating the same are provided. A MIMO antenna device can include a plurality of substrates each having an antenna element. The substrates can be provided in connected series and can be attached to a framework. The substrates can have alternating style antenna elements, such that a first substrate can have a straight-fed dipole and a second substrate adjacent to the first substrate can have a bent-fed dipole and a third substrate adjacent to the second substrate, and on an opposite side of the second substrate than the first substrate is, can have a straight-fed dipole and so on.

Foldable, deployable and reconfigurable MIMO antenna arrays

Multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna devices and methods of using and fabricating the same are provided. A MIMO antenna device can include a substrate that is capable of being folded and an antenna element disposed thereon. The antenna element can be disposed on the substrate in a polygon shape such as a rectangle or a square. The substrate can have predefined folding lines such that the substrate can be folded into different positions.

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Miami, FL, United States of America

Constantinos L Zekios