SBIR Phase I:Metamaterial Volumetric Folded Antennas for Wireless Systems

This small business innovation research Phase I project explores novel wireless antenna technologies based on metamaterial volumetric folded antennas structures. The approach is to compress, twist, and fragment metal strips or discs in a multi-layer structure to form self-tuned, bandwidth optimized, and miniaturized antennas. The design methodology of engineering the coupled-line common and differential modes simultaneously presents many opportunities for radio-frequency and microwave components in wireless technology. The new approach of reducing dramatically antenna resonant length and stored electric and magnetic energy, at the same time, while increasing many times the radiated power in an area-constrained multi-layer platform is unique and opens up many possibilities of useful integrated antenna structures. The research methodology is to fold metamaterial slow-wave wires. Those folded wires spread out into multiple layers use effectively the antenna volume in integrated circuits and enhance many times the radiation resistance. The proposed ideas combine the theory of metamaterial slow-wave coupled lines, folded integrated antennas, and volumetric wires, aiming for miniaturization as well as the bandwidth and efficiency optimization and offering a competing edge over the existing products in iphone, global position systems, wireless local access network, and global system mobile devices.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is on wireless communication technologies and applications that have been under tremendous growth in this new century. Present wireless technology is geared toward the consolidation of multiple networks into one communication system. There is an ever increasing demand for electronics systems that are extremely compact in size and capable of multiple functionalities. As the radio and digital chip size becomes smaller, radio-frequency passive components, particularly antennas remain salient features and the bottleneck for device miniaturization. This project offers a unique solution for dramatic size reduction without degrading antenna performance. The proposed concept of metamaterial volumetric folded antennas to replace conventional planar wire antennas will have broader impact on radio-frequency communication systems. The new idea would have an immediate market demand on iphones. The product could expand into other wireless networks, such as global satellite navigation, radio-frequency identification, wireless local access network, Bluetooth, and paging systems. The integration of the proposed technology into the wireless products for personal communications has significant market potential.