BEAMFORMER
An embodiment is a beamformer for directing an incident electromagnetic wave, including a first conductive metamaterial cell configured to shift a phase of a first portion of the electromagnetic wave, a second conductive metamaterial cell located adjacent to the first conductive metamaterial cell, having a different geometry than the first conductive metamaterial cell, and configured to shift a phase of a second portion of the electromagnetic wave, a conductor including at least a portion disposed between the first conductive metamaterial cell and the second conductive metamaterial cell.
1 - 6 . (canceled)
7 . A beamformer for directing an incident electromagnetic wave, comprising:
a first conductive metamaterial cell configured to shift a phase of a first portion of the electromagnetic wave;
a second conductive metamaterial cell located adjacent to the first conductive metamaterial cell, having a different geometry than the first conductive metamaterial cell, and configured to shift a phase of a second portion of the electromagnetic wave; and
a conductor including at least a portion disposed between the first conductive metamaterial cell and the second conductive metamaterial cell.
8 . The beamformer according to claim 7 , wherein the conductor is formed in a mesh shape surrounding the first conductive metamaterial cell and surrounding the second conductive metamaterial cell.
9 . The beamformer according to claim 7 , wherein
the conductor is formed in a linear shape that does not surround both the first conductive metamaterial cell and the second conductive metamaterial cell.
10 . The beamformer according to claim 7 , comprising:
a first cell group including first cells arranged along a predetermined direction, each of the first cells being the first conductive metamaterial cell; and
a second cell group including second cells arranged along the predetermined direction, each of the second cells being the second conductive metamaterial cell, and located next to the first cell group; wherein
the portion of the conductor is located between the first cell group and the second cell group and extends along the predetermined direction.
11 . The beamformer according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a dielectric material filled between the first conductive metamaterial cell and the second conductive metamaterial cell.
12 . The beamformer according to claim 7 , wherein the conductor divides a coupling capacitance between the first conductive metamaterial cell and the second conductive metamaterial cell.
13 . The beamformer according to claim 7 , wherein the beamformer is configured to operate in a millimeter-wave frequency range.
14 . The beamformer according to claim 7 , wherein the beamformer comprises multiple layers of conductive metamaterial cells.
15 . The beamformer according to claim 7 , wherein the first conductive metamaterial cell and the second conductive metamaterial cell have different sizes.
16 . The beamformer according to claim 7 , wherein the beamformer is a passive beamformer.
17 . The beamformer according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a conductive reflective layer disposed on a side of the beamformer opposite to a side on which the electromagnetic wave is incident.
18 . The beamformer according to claim 7 , wherein the first conductive metamaterial cell and the second conductive metamaterial cell are configured to provide a phase difference between adjacent cells to achieve a predetermined steering angle for the electromagnetic wave.
19 . The beamformer according to claim 7 , wherein the conductor is configured to reduce side lobes in the directed electromagnetic wave.
20 . The beamformer according to claim 7 , wherein the first conductive metamaterial cell and the second conductive metamaterial cell are round Jerusalem cross cells.
21 . A multi-layer beamformer for directing an incident electromagnetic wave, comprising:
a plurality of conductive metamaterial cell layers, each layer comprising:
a first conductive metamaterial cell configured to shift a phase of a first portion of the electromagnetic wave;
a second conductive metamaterial cell located adjacent to the first conductive metamaterial cell, having a different geometry than the first conductive metamaterial cell, and configured to shift a phase of a second portion of the electromagnetic wave; and
a conductor including at least a portion disposed between the first conductive metamaterial cell and the second conductive metamaterial cell;
a dielectric material disposed between adjacent conductive metamaterial cell layers; and
wherein the plurality of conductive metamaterial cell layers are configured to have a gradual variation of phase shift in a predetermined direction.
22 . The multi-layer beamformer according to claim 21 , wherein the first conductive metamaterial cell and the second conductive metamaterial cell in each layer are round Jerusalem cross cells.
23 . The multi-layer beamformer according to claim 21 , wherein the conductor in each layer is formed in a mesh shape surrounding the first conductive metamaterial cell and the second conductive metamaterial cell.
24 . The multi-layer beamformer according to claim 21 , wherein the beamformer is configured to operate in a millimeter-wave frequency range.
25 . The multi-layer beamformer according to claim 21 , wherein the first conductive metamaterial cell and the second conductive metamaterial cell in each layer have different sizes configured to achieve different phase shift amounts.