Rayspan Corp. has unveiled a single-antenna solution for mobile devices that is able to operate over several frequency bands without using multiple elements, costly switches or bulky matching networks. According to Rayspan, its MTM-E antenna is the first antenna for mobile devices to be based on metamaterials, which consist of patterns of metallic and dielectric substances spaced at similar wavelengths.
The MTM-E antenna can support six or more bands, operating from 698 to 960 MHz in the low band and 1710 to 2170 MHz as well as 2.6 GHz in the high band, without requiring any switching elements or matching circuits. This makes it the only antenna technology that integrates LTE, 3G, Bluetooth and GPS in a single-feed antenna.
MTM-E antennas are designed to use the shape of a particular mobile device to realize multiple modes that can communicate at all the necessary frequencies using a single antenna. Multi-mode antenna configurations can be realized on an existing PCB by combining normal antenna materials with metamaterials, which have characteristics directly opposite to those of normal materials. The metamaterials are fabricated as patterns of metal traces, separated by a dielectric air gap, on the same PCB as the device electronics. The spaced metal patterns act like giant atoms in a lattice whose spacing corresponds to the frequency being received or transmitted.
One of the first customers for the Rayspan metamaterial antenna is LG Electronics Inc., which uses it in the BL-40 handset with GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and FM capability. Rayspan is also licensing its MTM-E antenna to mobile handset makers and many other OEMs for products such as netbooks, USB dongles, wireless routers and wireless modems.
Source: Rayspan
Image: Rayspan
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