Antenna with effective and electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) media and related system and method
An apparatus includes an antenna having multiple layers. At least a first of the layers includes both an effective medium and an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) medium. The antenna could include a ground plane and a feed line, and the first layer of the antenna can be located between the ground plane and the feed line. The antenna could also include a slot ground and a planar antenna structure, and the first layer of the antenna could be located between the slot ground and the planar antenna structure. The antenna could further include a first substrate between a feed line and a slot ground and a second substrate covering a planar antenna structure, and the first layer could include one of the first and second substrates.
1. An apparatus comprising:
an antenna comprising multiple layers;
wherein at least a first of the layers comprises both an effective medium and an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) medium;
wherein the effective medium and the EBG medium are areas that are patterned differently in that material in the effective medium is patterned at a length scale smaller than a length scale of material in the EBG medium, the length scale of the EBG medium closer to a working wavelength of the antenna than the length scale of the effective medium.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the antenna comprises a ground plane and a feed line; and
the first layer of the antenna is located between the ground plane and the feed line.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises:
a first substrate between a feed line and a slot ground; and
a second substrate covering a planar antenna structure.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first layer comprises one of the first and second substrates.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each layer comprising effective and EBG media includes the EBG medium surrounding the effective medium.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a radar gauge configured to at least one of: transmit radar signals towards material in a tank and receive radar signals reflected off the material in the tank using the antenna.
7. An apparatus comprising:
an antenna comprising multiple layers;
wherein:
at least a first of the layers comprises both an effective medium and an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) medium;
the antenna comprises a slot ground and a planar antenna structure; and
the first layer of the antenna is located between the slot ground and the planar antenna structure.
8. An apparatus comprising:
an antenna comprising multiple layers;
wherein:
at least a first of the layers comprises both an effective medium and an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) medium;
the antenna comprises a ground plane, a feed line, a slot ground, and a planar antenna structure;
the first layer of the antenna is located between the ground plane and the feed line; and
a second of the layers of the antenna comprises both a second effective medium and a second EBG medium, the second layer located between the slot ground and the planar antenna structure.
9. A system comprising:
an antenna array comprising multiple antennas, each of the antennas comprising multiple layers;
wherein at least a first of the layers in each antenna comprises both an effective medium and an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) medium; and
wherein the effective medium and the EBG medium in each antenna are areas that are patterned differently in that material in the effective medium is patterned at a length scale smaller than a length scale of material in the EBG medium, the length scale of the EBG medium closer to a working wavelength of the respective antenna than the length scale of the effective medium.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
each of the antennas comprises a ground plane and a feed line; and
the first layer of each antenna is located between the ground plane and the feed line of that antenna.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein each antenna comprises:
a first substrate between a feed line and a slot ground of that antenna; and
a second substrate covering a planar antenna structure of that antenna.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first layer of each antenna comprises one of the first and second substrates of that antenna.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein each layer comprising effective and EBG media includes the EBG medium surrounding the effective medium.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the antenna array comprises multiple patch antennas coupled to a feed network.
15. A system comprising:
an antenna array comprising multiple antennas, each of the antennas comprising multiple layers;
wherein:
at least a first of the layers in each antenna comprises both an effective medium and an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) medium;
each antenna comprises a slot ground and a planar antenna structure; and
the first layer of each antenna is located between the slot ground and the planar antenna structure of that antenna.
16. A system comprising:
an antenna array comprising multiple antennas, each of the antennas comprising multiple layers;
wherein:
at least a first of the layers in each antenna comprises both an effective medium and an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) medium;
each antenna comprises a ground plane, a feed line, a slot ground, and a planar antenna structure;
the first layer of each antenna is located between the ground plane and the feed line of that antenna; and
a second of the layers in each antenna comprises both a second effective medium and a second EBG medium, the second layer of each antenna located between the slot ground and the planar antenna structure of that antenna.
17. A method comprising:
forming a first layer of a multi-layer antenna; and
forming a second layer of the multi-layer antenna;
wherein at least one of the layers comprises both an effective medium and an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) medium; and
wherein material in the effective medium and material in the EBG medium are patterned differently, wherein the patterning of the material in the effective medium is at a length scale smaller than a length scale of the material in the EBG medium patterning, the length scale of the EBG medium closer to a working wavelength of the antenna than the length scale of the effective medium.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the antenna comprises a ground plane and a feed line; and
the layer comprising effective and EBG media is located between the ground plane and the feed line.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the antenna comprises a first substrate between a feed line and a slot ground and a second substrate covering a planar antenna structure; and
the layer comprising effective and EBG media comprises one of the first and second substrates.
20. A method comprising:
forming a first layer of a multi-layer antenna; and
forming a second layer of the multi-layer antenna;
wherein:
at least one of the layers comprises both an effective medium and an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) medium;
the antenna comprises a slot ground and a planar antenna structure; and
the layer comprising effective and EBG media is located between the slot ground and the planar antenna structure.