Abstract
This manuscript reports the first leaky-wave antenna (LWA) array excited by a photomixer as well as its potential application for alignment in wireless links. The designed array is manufactured in printed circuit board (PCB) technology, works at the E-band (from 75 to 85 GHz), and provides a directive beam of about 18 dBi with a frequency scanning span of 22°. The antenna element consists of a microstrip line periodically loaded with stubs, and it has been designed employing a hybrid approach combining full-wave simulations and transmission line theory. This approach enables the optimization of the periods when the open-stopband of the LWA is mitigated or removed at the frequency of broadside emission. The proposed antenna was first tested using a ground signal ground (GSG) probe; the measured return loss and radiation patterns of the fabricated prototype were in good agreement with full-wave simulations. Then, the LWA array was integrated with the photomixer chip using conductive epoxy threads. Measurements of the radiated power yielded a maximum of 120 µW at 80.5 GHz for a 9.8 mA photocurrent. Finally, the antenna was used in a 25 cm wireless link, obtaining a 2.15 Gbps error-free data rate.
Highlights
Photonic generation of millimeter and submillimeter continuous-wave radiation by photomixing is an extremely promising route to explore
The prototype included a tapered interconnection from the ground signal ground (GSG) pads to grounded coplanar waveguide (G-CPW) to excite the antenna, as it can be seen in Appendix A Figure A2d,e
The disagreement between simulation and measurement around 78 GHz could be attributed to an inexact value of the relative permittivity of the substrate used in the simulation, and to errors associated with the electrical connection between the probe and the printed circuit board (PCB)
Summary
Pascual-Gracia 1 , Muhsin Ali 2 , Guillermo Carpintero Del Barrio 2 , Fabien Ferrero 3 , Laurent Brochier 3 , Ronan Sauleau 1 , Luis Enrique García-Muñoz 2, *. Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, LEAT (Laboratory of Electronics Antennas and Telecommunications)–UMR
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