Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2022-2023).

In wireless internet service provision (WISP), any efforts to render antennas more compact, low-profile, orx000D
multifunctional can bring certain challenges such as increased mutual coupling and complex antennax000D
architectures, all of which variously enlarge antenna footprints, complicate design, and present fabricationx000D
challenges. Although solutions exist for these challenges, they may actually increase the size, weight,x000D
complexity, and cost of the antenna, and they typically employ ad-hoc or otherwise empirical design methods.x000D
A separate challenge is the known effect of radomes on radiation parameters. These structures, whose shapesx000D
are dictated by application-specific parameters such as wind resistance and aesthetics, are not typicallyx000D
exploited to enhance antenna properties, although they present an interesting opportunity to do so.x000D
The above challenges demand a more robust solution drawing on new paradigms in antenna design. One suchx000D
paradigm is that of electromagnetic (EM) 'metamaterials' (MTMs), which are periodic structures engineered tox000D
create exotic wave-propagation characteristics - often unavailable using natural materials - and which may bex000D
further classified into several types. Among these are EM bandgap structures (EBGs) and certain incarnationsx000D
of frequency-selective surfaces (FSSs), where the former are typically used to tailor propagation inx000D
guided-wave applications (e.g. waveguides and TLs) and the latter are typically used to engineer thex000D
transmission and reflection response of waves in free space.x000D
The proposed collaboration with KP Performance Inc. (Edmonton, AB -- abbreviated KPPA) will investigatex000D
designing compact multifunction diversity antennas that incorporate recent advances in MTM-based EBGx000D
technology to enable broadband and/or multi-band operation with reduced mutual coupling. A second aspect ofx000D
this work will examine patterning antenna radomes and ground planes using MTM-based FSSs and EBGs,x000D
respectively, to effect better half-power beamwidth roll-off, low side-lobes, and improved front-to-back ratios.