Patent ID: 8346189

Claim:
A device based on a Composite Right and Left Handed (CRLH) Metamaterial (MTM) structure, comprising: a first transmission line including a Composite Right and Left Handed (CRLH) Metamaterial (MTM) structure, a first terminal that is terminated at a first impedance and a second terminal; a plurality of second transmission lines of CRLH MTM structures that are coupled to the second terminal of the first transmission line and are configured to either split an input RF signal received from the second terminal of the first transmission line into a plurality of output RF signals in the second transmission lines, respectively, or to combine a plurality of input RF signals in the second transmission lines into an output RF signal at the second terminal of the first transmission line, each second transmission line having a first terminal that is coupled to the second terminal of the first transmission line and a second terminal that is terminated at a respective second impedance, wherein the first transmission line and the second transmission lines are structured to provide impedance match between the first impedance at the first terminal of the first transmission line and a respective second impedance of each of the second transmission lines, and wherein the first transmission line and the second transmission lines are structured to be in a first configuration where the first transmission line is a CRLH MTM transmission line of an electrical length having a phase delay of ±m90° where m is a positive odd integer, and each of the second transmission lines is a CRLH MTM transmission line of an electrical length having a zero phase delay or a phase delay of ±n180° where n is a positive integer, or in a second configuration where the first transmission line is a CRLH MTM transmission line of an electrical length having a zero phase delay or a phase delay of ±m180° where m is a positive integer and each of the second transmission lines is a CRLH MTM transmission line having a phase delay of ±n90° where n is a positive odd integer.