Closed-loop smart antenna systems with controllable metamaterial lattice interactions

This paper provides an introductory discussion and sample preliminary results on a new metamaterial-based smart antenna concept. This new antenna concept is based on controlling closed-loop interactions between printed slot microstrip patterns and a variety of lattice substrate structures. These type of interactions are controlled via the integration of controllable active devices within a set of microstrip antenna geometries that are under consideration. The resulting antenna technology enables the real-time configuration of antenna systems that transmit multiple programmable tones across large percentage bandwidths. The control philosophy is based on specifying a desired spectrum within the system memory and then iteratively sequencing through a series of programmable modes on the antenna-integrated substrate devices to achieve convergence to the desired spectrum.