In its long state – and when connected to electronics such as a transceiver, ground plane and battery – the antenna emits a low-power signal in all directions, allowing for radio communications with ground-based team members. In its short state, it sends a high-power signal in a specific direction, allowing for satellite communications.
The frequencies utilized in either state are determined by the exact dimensions of each individual antenna."
Isn't that weird and interesting?
An antenna which can transmit in two distinct "dispersion modes" depending on shape and frequency...
In "wide-dispersion mode" (for lack of a better term), it is a standard transmitting antenna, probably subject to the inverse square law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse-square_law), that is, not unlike the radio frequency analogue of incandescent light -- as might be emitted from an incandescent light bulb...
In "narrow-dispersion" (AKA "focused" AKA "beam") mode -- it is no longer subject to the inverse square law(!) -- and is not unlike the radio frequency analogue of a laser beam!
What's amazing (to me!) is that apparently (if this article is true!) frequency makes all of the difference between dispersion modes -- relative to size and shape.
In other words, perhaps it is possible to get a laser to act more like an incandescent light soruce if its frequency is changed, and conversely, perhaps it is possible to get an incandescent light source to act more like a laser, again, if its frequency is changed. (Of course, in the latter case, we'd need to start with a single frequency since incandescent/white light is by definition multiple frequencies...).
And perhaps this same effect is possible across all frequencies (RF, infrared, ultraviolet, etc., etc.)...
This antenna/coil design seems very similar to something called a "Caduceus Coil", which I first read about on the now defunct Keelynet BBS/website, a copy of one such file is here: https://www.newphysics.se/archives/keelynet/energy/caduceus....
Related (future) question: Under what conditions, exactly (exceedingly rigorous definition required!) is a coil (AKA "inductor") in a circuit also an antenna -- and conversely, when exactly is an antenna in a circuit also a coil?
The "Hopf Fibration" -- might be related to all of this:
https://www.google.com/search?q=hopf+fibration&tbm=isch
As might the ancient notion of the "Norse World Tree":
https://www.google.com/search?q=norse+world+tree&tbm=isch
Related:
https://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/msg31218....
Anyway, a very interesting article!