We present the design for an absorbing metamaterial (MM) with near unity absorbance A(omega). Our structure consists of two MM resonators that couple separately to electric and magnetic fields so as to absorb all incident radiation within a single unit cell layer. We fabricate, characterize, and analyze a MM absorber with a slightly lower predicted A(omega) of 96%. Unlike conventional absorbers, our MM consists solely of metallic elements. The substrate can therefore be optimized for other parameters of interest. We experimentally demonstrate a peak A(omega) greater than 88% at 11.5 GHz.

This work investigates the gains realisable through the use of artificially structured materials, otherwise known as metamaterials, in the wide angle impedance matching (WAIM) of waveguide-fed phased-array antennas. The authors propose that the anisotropic properties of a metamaterial layer, when designed appropriately, can be employed to achieve impedance matching at a wide contiguous range of phased-array antenna transmission angles. Simulation and numerical results show that an optimised impedance match over a broad angular range can be readily achieved using a doubly uniaxial (magnetic and electric) anisotropic layer, an outcome not found accomplishable when an optimised isotropic dielectric layer is used. The authors propose the possibility of using metamaterials to achieve anisotropic WAIM layer configurations, and the authors show, using two simple uniaxial designs, that a metamaterial layer over the phased-array gives performance characteristics similar to its homogeneous anisotropic effective medium counterpart.

We present angle-resolved free-space transmission and reflection measurements of a surface composed of complementary electric inductive-capacitive ͑CELC͒ resonators. By measuring the reflection and transmission coefficients of a CELC surface with different polarizations and particle orientations, we show that the CELC only responds to in-plane magnetic fields. This confirms the Babinet particle duality between the CELC and its complement, the electric field coupled LC resonator. Characterization of the CELC structure serves to expand the current library of resonant elements metamaterial designers can draw upon to make unique materials and surfaces.

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We investigate the effects of disorder on metamaterial samples composed of split ring resonators with randomly introduced variation in their geometrical dimensions. We demonstrate that disorder broadens the negative permeability band and introduces effective losses into the system. Transmission measurements on samples with varying degrees of disorder are found to be in excellent agreement with predictions based on standard homogenization theories.

Abstract-The rate of wireless data transmission is limited by the antenna bandwidth. We present an efficient technique to realize a high-rate direct binary FSK modulation by using the transient properties of high-Q antennas. We show that if the natural resonance of a narrowband resonant-type antenna is switched at a high rate, the radiating signal follows the variation of resonant frequency and provides a high-rate data-transmission regardless of the narrowband characteristics of the antenna. The bit-rate in this method is dictated by the switching speed rather than the impedance bandwidth. Since the proposed technique employs the antenna in a time-varying arrangement, carrier frequencies are not required to be simultaneously within the antenna bandwidth. When demanded, the antenna is tuned to required carrier frequency according to a sequence of digital data. Moreover, if the switching frequency is properly chosen such that the stored energy in the near-zone is not dramatically disturbed, any variation in the antenna resonance will instantaneously appear in the far-field radiation due to the previously accumulated energy in the near field. Therefore, depending on the Q factor and switching speed, radiation bandwidth of the antenna can be improved independently from the impedance bandwidth. Furthermore, we show that a single RF source is sufficient to excite both carrier frequencies and the need for a VCO is obviated. Experimental results are presented to validate the feasibility of the proposed technique.

Electromagnetic waves carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) have been used for mode division multiplexing in free-space communication systems to increase both the capacity and the spectral efficiency. In the case of conventional wireless communication links using non-OAM beams, multipath effects caused by beam spreading and reflection from the surrounding objects affect the system performance. This paper presents the results of analysis, simulations, and measurements of multipath effects in a millimetre-wave communication link using OAM multiplexing at 28 GHz. Multipath-induced intra- and inter-channel crosstalk, which are caused by specular reflection from a plane parallel to the propagation path, are analysed and measured. Both the simulation and the experimental results show that an OAM channel with a high OAM number ℓ tends to suffer from both strong intra-channel crosstalk and strong inter-channel crosstalk with other OAM channels. Results of the analysis show that this observation can be explained on the basis of both the properties of OAM beam divergence and the filtering effect at the receiver, which is associated with the spiral wavefront of OAM beams.

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