Nanostructured, magnetic tunable antennas for communication devices
AssigneeMotorola, Inc.
InventorsKota V R M Murali, Steven J. Franson
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Abstract
A communication device (310) is provided that includes a nano-sized RF antenna (100) having low power consumption and wide-range frequency spectrum based on bottom-up nanotechnology. The antenna (100) includes an insulator layer (110) positioned between a free magnetic layer (112) and a fixed magnetic layer (108). A DC voltage source (124) is coupled to the free magnetic layer (112) and the fixed magnetic layer (108) for providing a current (118) therethrough. A detector (126) is coupled between the antenna (100) and the DC voltage source (124) for detecting a change in the current (118) in response to a radiated signal being received by the antenna (100) which causes a change in the spin on electrons in the free magnetic layer (112).
Claims18
A communication device comprising:
- a radiated signal receiver;
- and
- a first antenna capable of receiving a first DC current and comprising:
- a first free magnetic layer;
- a first fixed magnetic layer;
- a first insulator layer positioned between the first free magnetic layer and the first fixed magnetic layer;
- and
- a first detector coupled to the first antenna for detecting a change in the first DC current in response to a radiated signal being received by the first antenna, and a first output coupled to the receiver.
A communication device comprising:
- receiver circuitry;
- a controller coupled to the receiver circuitry;
- and
- a first antenna coupled to the receiver circuitry, the first antenna comprising:
- a first magnetic element including a plurality of electrons having a spin, and capable of receiving a DC current;
- and
- a first device for measuring changes in the DC current caused by reception of a first RF signal that changes the spin on the plurality of electrons.
A method for sensing an RF signal by a communication device, comprising:
- supplying a DC current through a first antenna cell comprising a first insulating layer positioned between a first free magnetic layer and a first fixed magnetic layer;
- exposing the first free magnetic layer of the first antenna cell to the RF signal, wherein a change in spin is imparted upon electrons in the first free magnetic layer;
- and
- detecting a change in the DC current caused by the spinning of the electrons changing a magnetization vector in the first free magnetic layer from a first direction to a second direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.