Integrated antennas and phased arrays with mode-free electromagnetic bandgap materials

A method for constructing a bandgap-antenna structure (100) configured to operate as an antenna element integrating mode-free omnidirectional bandgap behavior, wherein the method comprises:

• (a) operatively coupling an antenna layer (103), comprising a metallic patch having a square geometry, to a top surface of a substrate, wherein the substrate (101) is a solid cube having a height, D, close to half-wavelength of a phased array frequency that lies within a bandgap frequency region;
• (b) placing an upper embedded metallic layer (105) within the substrate a distance h1 below the antenna layer, wherein the upper embedded metallic layer (105) comprises a first set of concentric metallic rings;
• (c) placing a lower embedded metallic layer (107) within the substrate a distance h2 below the upper embedded metallic layer (105) such that the lower and upper metallic layers (105,107) are electrically coupled, wherein the lower embedded metallic layer (107) comprises a second set of concentric metallic rings;
• (d) operatively coupling a backing ground plane (109) to a bottom surface of the substrate at a distance h3 from a bottom surface of the lower embedded metallic layer (107), wherein the backing ground plane (109) is electrically coupled to the lower embedded metallic layer (107) via a plurality of vias (111),
• wherein the antenna layer (103), the upper and lower embedded metallic layers (105,107), and the backing ground plane (109) are aligned such that a center of each is disposed along an axis normal to the substrate (101);
• and
• (e) feeding the metallic patch with energy within a given antenna frequency region via an excitation probe, which causes the metallic patch to radiate said energy in a direction perpendicular to the substrate (101),
• wherein the given antenna frequency region and the bandgap frequency region overlap so that mode-free omnidirectional bandgap behavior is exhibited during said energy radiation by said antenna layer (103).

A method of generating mode-free omnidirectional bandgap behavior in an antenna element, comprising:

• (a) operatively coupling an antenna layer (103), comprising a metallic patch having a square geometry, to a top surface of a substrate, wherein the substrate (101) is a solid cube having a height, D, close to half-wavelength of a phased array frequency that lies within a bandgap frequency region;
• (b) placing an upper embedded metallic layer (105) within the substrate a distance h1 below the antenna layer, wherein the upper embedded metallic layer (105) comprises a first set of concentric metallic rings;
• (c) placing a lower embedded metallic layer (107) within the substrate a distance h2 below the upper embedded metallic layer (105) such that the lower and upper metallic layers (105,107) are electrically coupled, wherein the lower embedded metallic layer (107) comprises a second set of concentric metallic rings;
• (d) operatively coupling a backing ground plane (109) to a bottom surface of the substrate at a distance h3 from a bottom surface of the lower embedded metallic layer (107), wherein the backing ground plane (109) is electrically coupled to the lower embedded metallic layer (107) via a plurality of vias (111),
• wherein the antenna layer (103), the upper and lower embedded metallic layers (105,107), and the backing ground plane (109) are aligned such that a center of each is disposed along an axis normal to the substrate (101);
• and
• (e) feeding the metallic patch with energy within a given antenna frequency region via an excitation probe, which causes the metallic patch to radiate said energy in a direction perpendicular to the substrate (101),
• wherein the given antenna frequency region and the bandgap frequency region overlap so that said mode-free omnidirectional bandgap behavior is exhibited during said energy radiation by said antenna layer (103).