Antenna array and unit cell using an artificial magnetic layer

An apparatus comprising:

• an array of unit cells disposed on a common substrate, each unit cell comprising:
• a first layer of dielectric material defining a first and an opposed second major surface;
• a second dielectric layer disposed adjacent to the first major surface;
• a pair of intersecting conductive traces disposed on the opposed major surface of the first layer of dielectric material;
• and
• at least four conductive vias penetrating the first layer of dielectric material but not the second layer of dielectric material, each of said conductive vias spaced from one another and coupled to a conductive trace.

A method of making an antenna array comprising:

• providing a substrate particularly adapted to retain components in spaced relation to one another;
• securing to the substrate a plurality of antenna unit cells, each antenna unit cell spaced from each other antenna unit cell and each antenna unit cell comprising a ground plane element spaced from a radiating element;
• securing to the substrate, between each pair of adjacent antenna unit cells, a tile comprising an array of artificial magnetic layer AML unit cells, each AML unit cell comprising a ring dielectric layer having a first and a second surface, a capacitor dielectric layer coupled to the first surface, a pair of conductive traces disposed adjacent to the second surface, and a set of at least four conductive vias penetrating the ring dielectric layer but not the capacitor dielectric layer, each of said conductive vias spaced from one another and coupled to the pair of conductive traces;
• and
• capacitively coupling the AML unit cell to at least one of the ground plane elements.

An arrayed apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of means for wirelessly communicating RF energy over a frequency, said means for wirelessly communicating arrayed in spaced relation to one another;
• a plurality of means for inhibiting mutual coupling, each means for inhibiting mutual coupling disposed between adjacent ones of the plurality of means for wirelessly communicating RF energy, each of said means for inhibiting mutual coupling comprising at least one split ring resonator;
• and
• conductive means for electrically coupling each of the plurality of means for inhibiting mutual coupling to one another;
• wherein the conductive means and each said means for inhibiting mutual coupling are disposed in a common ground plane.