The present invention relates to a filter having electromagnetic characteristics capable of selectively absorbing and transmitting even radio waves of the same frequency correspondingly to a waveform of the radio wave.
A conventionally existing ordinary material provides no selectivity for radio waves of the same frequency in terms of a pulse width. As illustrated in
The resonance phenomenon of a periodic structure determines electromagnetic field characteristics in “a periodic structure shorter than an artificially designed incident radio wave wavelength” referred to as a metasurface. Appropriately designing the periodic structure can provide unusual electromagnetic field characteristics not found in the natural world.
The metasurface described in non-patent literatures 1 and 2 is structured to use full-wave rectification and periodically place a plurality of conductive materials having a conductive property in a lattice-like structure over a planar dielectric substance. Moreover, as illustrated in
A metasurface in
The capacitor can store the high-frequency energy. However, the energy of low-frequency components fully charges the capacitor. The capacitor cannot store the energy any more. The energy stored in the capacitor is then discharged to the resistor. The short-pulse radio wave can therefore dissipate all the energy before the next radio wave arrives.
An incident wave induces a surface current and includes frequency component f in this example. However, rectifying action of the diode gradually converts the frequency component into a direct-current component.
From these viewpoints, the metasurface absorbs the radio wave with a short pulse width (excitation time or waveform) and transmits the radio wave with a long pulse width. Non-patent literatures 1 and 2 describe characteristics as illustrated in
The non-patent literatures describe that time constant RCC can control the characteristics. Specifically, varying newly specified time constant RCC can horizontally shift a curve in
The developed waveform selectivity according to the conventional example is capable of changing ranges of pulse width absorbed by time constant. However, a shorter pulse always indicates a higher absorptance and a longer pulse or continuous wave always indicates a lower absorptance.
Therefore, the conventional example includes the following issue. The structure using the capacitor and the resistor cannot transmit a short pulse-width signal and absorb a long pulse. Accordingly, the structure cannot absorb or transmit only a signal with an optionally specified pulse width and transmit or absorb the other signals.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a filter at least part of whose pulse-width region is characterized to increase absorptance as a pulse width increases, or to provide a filter whose reflectance or tansmittance decreases as a pulse width of a radio wave increases.
The inventors found that the configuration described below can solve the above-mentioned issue. Namely, the present invention provides the filter described below.
A filter according to a first aspect has absorptance for a radio wave that changes depending on a waveform of a radio wave. The filter includes: conductive materials; a rectifier circuit that links two locations of the conductive materials; and an RL circuit including an inductor and a resistor, the inductor generating an electromotive force using an electric current rectified by the rectifier circuit and the resistor converting the electric current to heat.
A filter according to a second aspect has absorptance for a radio wave that changes depending on a waveform of a radio wave. The filter includes: a conductive materials; a rectifier circuit that links two locations of the conductive materials; and an RL circuit that includes an inductor and a resistor connected serially and allows an electric current rectified by the rectifier circuit to flow.
The filter according to the first or second aspect enables at least part of pulse-width regions to provide characteristics in which increasing the pulse width increases the absorptance or provide characteristics in which reflectance or transmittance decreases as a pulse width of a radio wave increases.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below and may be modified, corrected, or improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
A plurality of layers as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Any of the cross-section structures in
As illustrated in
Inductor L is connected to the full-wave rectifier circuit 22 and is therefore free from characteristic degradation due to a high-frequency signal.
Though not shown, the dielectric substance 10 can be variously placed as illustrated in
As above, the waveform selection metasurface according to the first embodiment is configured by periodically placing the conductive materials 11 on the dielectric substance 10. The metasurface (filter) includes the conductive materials 11 of which the adjacent conductive materials 11 are wired by the rectifier circuit. The rectifier circuit is connected with the RL circuit 30 that includes inductor L and resistor RL. Inductor L generates an electromotive force using a current flowing from one conductive materials 11 to the other. Resistor RL converts the current to the heat. The full-wave rectifier circuit 22 is configured by alternately placing the full-wave rectifier circuit 22 or the half-wave rectifier circuit 24a or 24b.
The waveform selection metasurface according to the first embodiment illustrated in
The operating principle will be described below. Inductor L of the RL circuit 30 has the impedance expressed as jωL. In the expression: j denotes an imaginary unit; ω=2πf (f is a frequency); and L denotes an inductance.
The effect of inductance L transmits a low-frequency signal. However, a high-frequency component generates an electromotive force and is eliminated. Resistor RL consumes the energy of a current that passes through the inductor.
An incident wave induces a current over the surface of the conductive materials. The incident wave and the induced current are assumed to have frequency component f. A rectifying action of the diode gradually converts the frequency component to a direct-current component. Therefore, a long pulse weakens the electromotive force of the inductor. The resistor dissipates the energy.
Based on these considerations, the waveform selection metasurface absorbs the radio wave with a sufficiently long pulse width and transmits the radio wave with a short pulse width. These characteristics can be controlled by time constant L/RL, where L denotes an inductance of the inductor and RL denotes a resistor value of the resistor.
The waveform selection metasurface is placed at the bottom in a TE waveguide and absorbs or transmits a surface current induced by the incident wave. Therefore, energy Et of the transmitted wave is measured after passing through the TE waveguide. Absorptance A is thus calculated from the equation of A=1−(Er+Et)/Ei.
In the simulation and the experiment, inductor L has an inductance of 100 pH and resistor RL has a resistor value of 5.5 ohms. The radio wave frequency is set to 4.2 GHz for all simulations including this result and to 4.0 GHz for the experiment.
Different frequencies (also referred to as operating frequencies) can be used to operate a radio wave capable of providing the effect of absorption for the waveform selection metasurface by changing a size (the 18-mm square in this example) or an interval of the periodic structure of the metal (conductive materials 11) on the dielectric substance.
For example, the simulation in
The frequency range capable of providing the waveform selectivity most largely depends on a range to operate the full-wave rectifier circuit 22. Even a high frequency such as 20 GHz enables operation when a GaAs (gallium arsenide) diode is used, for example.
In
As above, the RL circuit 30 can provide the waveform selection metasurface that is characterized to minimize the absorptance corresponding to a short pulse width and maximize the absorptance corresponding to a long pulse width. Varying the time constant of the RL circuit 30 can vary the characteristics of the waveform selection metasurface that is characterized to minimize the absorptance corresponding to a short pulse width and maximize the absorptance corresponding to a long pulse width.
The second embodiment can allow the circuit using capacitor C to absorb a short pulse only a small amount of which can be absorbed in the first embodiment. An intermediate pulse-width signal not absorbed in both circuit structures can be transmitted.
Circuit characteristics of the RC circuit 40 can be controlled by time constant RCC, where C denotes the capacitance of a capacitor and RC denotes the resistor value of a resistor used with the capacitor in pairs. Characteristics of a circuit structure for inductance can be also controlled by time constant L/RL. It is therefore possible to transmit any specified waveform and absorb the other signals.
The second embodiment therefore periodically places the conductive materials 11 on the dielectric substance 10. The metasurface includes the conductive materials 11 of which the adjacent conductive materials 11 are wired by the rectifier circuit. The RL circuit 30 and the RC circuit 40 are connected in parallel inside the rectifier circuit. The full-wave rectifier circuit 22 is configured by alternately placing the full-wave rectifier circuit 22 or the half-wave rectifier circuit 24a or 24b.
Though not shown, the dielectric substance 10 can be variously placed as illustrated in
More specifically, the simulation indicated by the black square uses C, L, RC, and RL that correspond to 1 nF, 100 μH, 10 kΩ, and 5.5Ω, respectively. The simulation indicated by the black circle and the experiment indicated by the white circle use C, L, RC, and RL that correspond to 100 pF, 1 mH, 10 kΩ, and 31.2Ω, respectively. The other conditions for the simulation and the experiment are equal to those used in
The experiments and the simulations reveal characteristics in which the absorptance is maximized in response to a long pulse width and a short pulse width and the absorptance is minimized in response to an intermediate pulse width between the long pulse width and the short pulse width.
Namely, the black circle signifies a combination of the circuit using a small time constant (e.g., represented by the white triangle compared to the black square) in
The present embodiment connects the RL circuit 30 and the RC circuit 40 in parallel and therefore implements a pulse width corresponding to a higher absorptance out of pulse widths according to the graphs in
The simulation result and the experiment result in
The simulation in
As above, the RL circuit 30 and the RC circuit 40 are connected in parallel. The waveform selection metasurface (corresponding to a filter) is then available to indicate characteristics in which the absorptance is maximized in response to a long pulse width and a short pulse width and the absorptance is minimized in response to a pulse width between the long pulse width and the short pulse width. The pulse width can be set to an intended value so as to maximize the absorptance by varying the time constant for the RL circuit 30 and/or the RC circuit 40.
According to the third embodiment, the circuit using the capacitor can transmit a long pulse that is absorbed in the first embodiment. The circuit can absorb an intermediate pulse-width signal that is not transmitted in both circuit structures.
Circuit characteristics of the capacitor in the RC circuit 40 can be controlled by time constant RCC, where C denotes the capacitance of the capacitor and RC denotes the resistor value of a resistor used in pairs. Characteristics of the circuit structure of the RL circuit 30 can also be controlled by time constant L/R1. It is therefore possible to transmit any specified waveform and absorb the other signals by independently adjusting these two time constants.
More specifically, the simulation indicated by the black square uses C, L, RC, and RL that correspond to 1 nF, 100 μH, 10 kΩ, and 5.5Ω, respectively. The simulation indicated by the black circle and the experiment indicated by the white circle use C, L, RC, and RL that correspond to 10 nF, 10 μH, 10 kΩ, and 2Ω, respectively. The other conditions for the simulation and the experiment are equal to those used in
The experiments and the simulations reveal characteristics in which the absorptance is minimized in response to a long pulse width and a short pulse width and the absorptance is maximized in response to an intermediate pulse width between the long pulse and the short pulse width. Namely, the black circle signifies a combination of the circuit using a large time constant (e.g., represented by the white circle compared to the black square) in
The present embodiment connects the RL circuit 30 and the RC circuit 40 in series and therefore implements a pulse width corresponding to a lower absorptance out of pulse widths according to the graphs in
The simulation result and the experiment result in
The simulation in
Varying the time constant for the RL circuit 30 and/or the RC circuit 40 can provide the waveform selection metasurface (corresponding to a filter) indicating characteristics in which the absorptance is minimized in response to a long pulse width and a short pulse width and the absorptance is maximized in response to a pulse width between the long pulse width and the short pulse width.
The waveform selectivity also provides a filtering effect that transmits an incident radio wave by changing its waveform. Graph (a) illustrates a transmitted wave in the time domain when a continuous wave is irradiated to the metasurface according to the conventional example. The metasurface according to the conventional example has the characteristics illustrated in
Graph (b) illustrates a transmitted wave in the time domain when a continuous wave is irradiated to the metasurface according to the first embodiment. The metasurface according to the first embodiment has the characteristics illustrated in
Graph (c) illustrates a transmitted wave in the time domain when a continuous wave is irradiated to the metasurface according to the second embodiment. The metasurface according to the second embodiment has the characteristics illustrated in
Graph (d) illustrates a transmitted wave in the time domain when a continuous wave is irradiated to the metasurface according to the third embodiment. The metasurface according to the third embodiment has the characteristics illustrated in
As above, the waveform can be transformed so as to be intensely transmitted or absorbed only at a given time and accordingly transmitted or absorbed at the other time domains. Applications of the waveform selectivity may therefore include development of an antenna to oscillate a continuous wave by converting it into a pulse or a receiver to convert an arriving radio wave into a pulse for communication.
The rectifier circuit links two locations of the conductive materials 11 in any of the examples in
The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to
According to the present embodiment, the full-wave rectifier circuit 22 and the RL circuit 30 connected in the full-wave rectifier circuit 22 are placed at a portion 10a of the dielectric substance 10 between the two adjacent conductive materials 11 in a longer direction. As illustrated in
According to the present embodiment, a radio wave arrives at the waveform selection metasurface and propagates in a direction that is perpendicular to the plane of
In this case,
The simulation according to the present embodiment applies a continuous wave to the waveform selection metasurface to be simulated. The horizontal axis of the graph in
According to the simulation, therefore, increasing the pulse width of an arriving radio wave decreases reflectance of the waveform selection metasurface in relation to the radio wave. Increasing the pulse width of the arriving radio wave increases a transmission factor of the waveform selection metasurface in relation to the radio wave. The absorptance of the waveform selection metasurface in relation to the arriving radio wave tends to increase when the pulse width of the radio wave is 0.1 μseconds or more compared to when the pulse width of the radio wave is less than 0.1 μseconds.
The reflectance as well as the absorptance and the transmission factor depends on pulse widths of a radio wave on the waveform selection metasurface according to the present embodiment. Namely, the overall scattering property depends on pulse widths of a radio wave on the waveform selection metasurface.
The fifth embodiment will be described with reference to
According to the present embodiment, the full-wave rectifier circuit 22 and the RL circuit 30 connected in the full-wave rectifier circuit 22 are placed at a center portion 10b in the longer direction of each of the holes included in the dielectric substance 10. As illustrated in
According to the present embodiment, a radio wave arrives at the waveform selection metasurface and propagates in a direction that is perpendicular to the plane of
The waveform selection metasurface according to the present embodiment is configured to rotate the waveform selection metasurface according to the fourth embodiment by 90° around the radio wave propagation direction as an axis. In addition, the location provided with the conductive materials 11 is replaced by the location devoid of the conductive materials 11.
In this case, the scattering property of the radio wave on the waveform selection metasurface according the present embodiment is equal to an exchange between the reflectance and the transmission factor used for the waveform selection metasurface according to the fourth embodiment.
More specifically,
According to the simulation, increasing the pulse width of an arriving radio wave decreases a transmission factor of the waveform selection metasurface in relation to the radio wave. Increasing the pulse width of an arriving radio wave increases reflectance of the waveform selection metasurface in relation to the radio wave. The absorptance of the waveform selection metasurface in relation to the arriving radio wave tends to increase when the pulse width of the radio wave is 0.1 μseconds or more compared to when the pulse width of the radio wave is less than 0.1 μseconds.
The reflectance as well as the absorptance and the transmission factor depends on pulse widths of a radio wave on the waveform selection metasurface according to the present embodiment. Namely, the overall scattering property depends on pulse widths of a radio wave on the waveform selection metasurface.
The sixth embodiment will be described with reference to
Specifically, the waveform selection metasurface according to the present embodiment includes a first RL circuit 31, a second RL circuit 32, a first RC circuit 41, and a second RC circuit 42 connected in the full-wave rectifier circuit 22.
Specifically, a circuit including the first RL circuit 31 and the first RC circuit 41 connected in series and a circuit including the second RL circuit 32 and the second RC circuit 42 connected in series are connected to the full-wave rectifier circuit 22 in parallel.
The first RL circuit 31 includes serially connected inductor L1 and resistor RL1. The second RL circuit 32 includes serially connected inductor L2 and resistor RL2. The first RC circuit 41 includes capacitor C1 and resistor RC1 that are connected in parallel. The second RC circuit 42 includes capacitor C2 and resistor RC2 that are connected in parallel.
Since two circuits each are connected in parallel and each of the two circuit includes the RL circuit and the RC circuit that are connected in series, a more complicated absorptance than the first through fifth embodiments is provided.
As illustrated in
Of the two upwardly convexed curves, one represents an increase in the absorptances due to the circuit including the first RL circuit 31 and the first RC circuit 41. The other represents an increase in the absorptances due to the circuit including the second RL circuit 32 and the second RC circuit 42.
A complicated combination of the RC circuit and the RL circuit can complicate the dependence of the absorptance on the pulse width.
The seventh embodiment will be described with reference to
Specifically, the waveform selection metasurface according to the present embodiment includes the first RL circuit 31, the second RL circuit 32, the first RC circuit 41, and the second RC circuit 42 connected in the full-wave rectifier circuit 22. The internal configurations of the circuits 31, 32, 41, and 42 are equal to those of the sixth embodiment.
Specifically, a circuit including the first RL circuit 31 and the first RC circuit 41 connected in parallel and a circuit including the second RL circuit 32 and the second RC circuit 42 connected in parallel are connected to the full-wave rectifier circuit 22 in series.
The configuration serially places two circuits each of which includes the RL circuit and the RC circuit connected in parallel. The configuration thus provides a more complicated absorptance than the first through fifth embodiments.
The simulation according to the present embodiment applies a continuous wave to the waveform selection metasurface to be simulated. The graph in
As illustrated in
Of the two downwardly convexed curves, one represents a decrease in the absorptances due to the circuit including the first RL circuit 31 and the first RC circuit 41. The other represents a decrease in the absorptances due to the circuit including the second RL circuit 32 and the second RC circuit 42.
A complicated combination of the RC circuit and the RL circuit can complicate the dependence of the absorptance on the pulse width.
The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Any combination of modifications described below can be applied to the above-mentioned embodiments.
There has been described that the overall scattering property depends on pulse widths of a radio wave on the waveform selection metasurface according to the fourth and fifth embodiments. This also applies to the first through third, sixth, and seventh embodiments. Namely, a variation in the pulse width of an arriving radio wave varies the reflectance of the radio wave also on the waveform selection metasurfaces according to the first through third, sixth, and seventh embodiments.
The first through seventh embodiments may use variable values such as a resistor value of the resistor, a capacitance value of the capacitor, and an inductance value of the inductor. In this case, a variable time constant is also available to the RL circuit and the RC circuit used for the first through seventh embodiments.
The resistor according to the first through seventh embodiments is not limited to a device that functions as an independent resistor. The resistor may be part of a device that includes a resistor component and fulfills the resistor component. For example, a device including the resistor component is available as a MOSFET that generates a resistor component corresponding to a voltage between the drain and the source so that a change in the voltage between the drain and the source varies a drain current.
The capacitor according to the first through seventh embodiments is not limited to a device that functions as an independent capacitor. The capacitor may be part of a device (e.g., variable capacitance diode) that includes a capacitance component and fulfills the capacitance component.
The inductor according to the first through seventh embodiments is not limited to a device that functions as an independent inductor. The inductor may be part of a device that includes an inductor component and fulfills the capacitance component.
As above, all or part of the filters (waveform selection metasurfaces) according to the first through seventh embodiments and the modifications provides the effect of ensuring a higher absorptance in relation to a long pulse width even if a radio wave uses the same frequency. At least part of pulse-width regions can provide characteristics in which increasing the pulse width increases the absorptance.
Varying the time constant for the RL circuit can control the dependence of the absorptance on the pulse width of a radio wave in terms of the effect of ensuring a higher absorptance in relation to a long pulse width even if the radio wave uses the same frequency.
The filter provides the effect of absorbing a short pulse-width signal and a long pulse-width signal and selectively transmitting any intermediate pulse-width signal between the short pulse-width signal and the long pulse-width signal.
The filter provides the effect of transmitting a short pulse-width signal and a long pulse-width signal and selectively absorbing any intermediate pulse-width signal between the short pulse-width signal and the long pulse-width signal.
The filter provides the effect of controlling the dependence of the selective absorptance on pulse widths. Namely, one effect is to absorb a short pulse-width signal and a long pulse-width signal and selectively transmit any intermediate pulse-width signal between the short pulse-width signal and the long pulse-width signal. The other effect is to transmit a short pulse-width signal and a long pulse-width signal and selectively absorb any intermediate pulse-width signal between the short pulse-width signal and the long pulse-width signal. The filter can control the dependence of the absorptance on pulse widths of a radio wave available for these two types of effects.
The filter can be shaped to be flat by separately and periodically placing a plurality of conductive materials. The flat filter can configure an antenna that can efficiently receive radio waves.
As above, the first through third embodiments can provide the waveform selection filter that can absorb a long pulse-width signal and transmit or absorb any intermediate pulse-width signal between a long pulse-width signal and a short pulse-width signal. The present invention can therefore provide an apparatus that selects the same frequency based on waveforms (pulse widths).
The apparatus is available based on the first, second, and third embodiments that differ in characteristics of the absorptance in relation to the pulse width. Applying the apparatus to an antenna can two-dimensionally enhance frequency resources and provide a fundamental solution to the issue of diminishing frequencies in wireless communication technologies.
According to the above-mentioned embodiments, the circuit including the RL circuit 30 and the RC circuit 40 is connected to the full-wave rectifier circuit 22 in series and corresponds to an example of a connection circuit that electrically connects adjacent conductive materials with each other.
The waveform selection metasurfaces according to the above-mentioned embodiments can provide existing wireless communications devices such as antennas or applications with “pulse width” to be used as a new degree of freedom and therefore can increase the possibility of solving the issue of diminishing frequency resources.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2014-148464 | Jul 2014 | JP | national |
2014-154363 | Jul 2014 | JP | national |
2014-253858 | Dec 2014 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2015/070276 | 7/15/2015 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2016/013466 | 1/28/2016 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20090105522 | Yi et al. | Apr 2009 | A1 |
20150028891 | Endo | Jan 2015 | A1 |
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H09-261009 | Oct 1997 | JP |
2007-184718 | Jul 2007 | JP |
2008-522572 | Jun 2008 | JP |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20170201029 A1 | Jul 2017 | US |