Integrated Antenna Research Articles

Integration of antennas with sun‐tracking solar panels

A low-cost solution for antennas integrated into solar cells, allowing their implementation in solar tracking installations is proposed. The proposed passive device autonomously adjusts the phase shift of a two-element array proportional to the panel rotation. Consequently, the main beam is steered to compensate for panel rotation and maintain a radio link. The proposed device operates for a rotation of ±45° with an amplitude variation of ≤0.4 dB at 2.51 GHz.

Compact Highly Integrated Planar Duplex Antenna for Wireless Communications

This paper proposes a novel concept of an integrated duplex antenna for realizing a compact multifunction RF front end by integrating a duplexer and a dual-band patch antenna. First, an all-resonator-based duplexer is designed. It is composed of two sets of split-ring resonators as channel filters, which are joined by a dual-mode stub-loaded resonator as the junction resonator. Then, a novel dual-band patch antenna is achieved by coupling a patch with a hairpin resonator through a slot in the ground. Uniform radiation characteristics have been achieved across the two bands. Finally, the duplexer is integrated with the dual-band patch antenna to form a highly integrated duplex antenna by coupling the hairpin resonator to the junction resonator of the duplexer directly. In this process, the 50- $\Omega $ interface and matching network between them are removed, contributing to a compact footprint. The details of codesign approach have been discussed in this paper. Compared with the traditional cascaded duplexer and antennas, this paper is much more compact and integrated but with an improved frequency response. A prototype of an integrated duplex antenna at S-band is fabricated and measured, showing two operation channels of 2.52–2.65 GHz for transmitting and 2.82–2.94 GHz for receiving with an isolation of over 32 dB. The measured results agree well with the simulation results.

A design of UWB reconfigurable pulse transmitter with pulse shape modulation

ABSTRACTA new design of ultra‐wideband (UWB) reconfigurable pulse transmitter (PT) based on active integrated antenna (AIA) structure is introduced in this article. The presented reconfigurable AIA consists of a reconfigurable sub‐nanosecond pulse generator (PG) which is integrated with a monopole circular disk antenna. The proposed design utilizes only a single step‐recovery diode (SRD) and just a single positive‐intrinsic‐negative (PIN) diode in order to generate sub‐nanosecond switchable second/third order derivatives of Gaussian pulse. The performance of the designed PT system is investigated in both frequency domain and time domain. Low ringing level, high signal fidelity, and virtually steady group delay is achieved in the frequency band of operation. The simplicity, low cost, and good performance of the presented PT makes it a good candidate for UWB transmission with pulse shape modulation (PSM). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2221–2227, 2016

Smart Coat with a Fully-Embedded Textile Antenna for IoT Applications.

The Internet of Things (IoT) scenario is strongly related with the advance of the development of wireless sensor networks (WSN) and radio frequency identification (RFID) systems. Additionally, in the WSN context, for a continuous feed, the integration of textile antennas for energy harvesting into smart clothing is a particularly interesting solution when the replacement of batteries is not easy to practice, such as in wearable devices. This paper presents the E-Caption: Smart and Sustainable Coat. It has an embedded dual-band textile antenna for electromagnetic energy harvesting, operating at global system for mobile communication (GSM) 900 and digital cellular system (DCS) 1800 bands. This printed antenna is fully integrated, as its dielectric is the textile material composing the coat itself. The E-Caption illustrates the innovative concept of textile antennas that can be manipulated as simple emblems. Seven prototypes of these “emblem” antennas, manufactured by lamination and embroidering techniques are also presented. It is shown that the orientation of the conductive fabric does not influence the performance of the antenna. It is also shown that the direction and number of the stitches in the embroidery may influence the performance of the antenna. Moreover, the comparison of results obtained before and after the integration of the antenna into cloth shows the integration does not affect the behavior of the antenna.

Piezoelectric tuning of narrowband perfect plasmonic absorbers via an optomechanic cavity.

Optical antennas enable the control of light-matter interaction on the nanometer scale. Efficient on-chip electrical switching of plasmonic resonances is a crucial step toward the integration of optical antennas into practical optoelectronic circuits. We propose and numerically investigate the on-chip low-voltage linear electrical tuning of a narrowband optical antenna perfect absorber via a piezoelectric optomechanic cavity. Near unity absorption is realized by an array of gold nanostrip antennas separated from a membrane-based deformable backreflector by a small gap. A narrow linewidth of 33nm at 2.58μm is realized through the coupling between the plasmonic mode and photonic mode in the cavity-enhanced antenna structure. An aluminum nitride piezoelectric layer enabled efficient actuation of the backreflector and therefore changed the gap size, allowing for the tuning of the spectral absorption. The peak wavelength can be shifted linearly by 250nm with 10V of tuning voltage, and the tuning range is not limited by the pull-in effect. The polarization dependence of the nanostrip antenna coupled with the optomechanic cavity allows the use of our device as a voltage tunable polarization control device.

Self-Powered Wireless Affinity-Based Biosensor Based on Integration of Paper-Based Microfluidics and Self-Assembled RFID Antennas.

This paper presents a wireless, self-powered, affinity-based biosensor based on the integration of paper-based microfluidics with our previously reported method for self-assembling radio-frequency (RF) antennas. At the core of the proposed approach is a silver-enhancement technique that grows portions of a RF antenna in regions where target antigens hybridize with target specific affinity probes. The hybridization regions are defined by a network of nitrocellulose based microfluidic channels which implement a self-powered approach to sample the reagent and control its flow and mixing. The integration substrate for the biosensor has been constructed using polyethylene and the patterning of the antenna on the substrate has been achieved using a low-cost ink-jet printing technique. The substrate has been integrated with passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to demonstrate that the resulting sensor-tag can be used for continuous monitoring in a food supply-chain where direct measurement of analytes is typically considered to be impractical. We validate the proof-of-concept operation of the proposed sensor-tag using IgG as a model analyte and using a 915 MHz Ultra-high-frequency (UHF) RFID tagging technology.

Synthesis of Filtering Structures for Microstrip Active Antennas Using Orlov’s Formula

In this paper, a synthesis technique for nonuniform filtering structures to be employed in active integrated antenna layouts is presented. The idea is to suppress the higher harmonic contribution due to the presence of nonlinear components through a nonuniform transmission line properly designed via Orlov's synthesis formula. The theory presented is applied here to synthesize an amplifier-based active antenna layout for wireless local area network (WLAN) purposes working at 2.4 GHz. The numerical results presented show the capabilities of the proposed approach.

Special issue on antenna innivations for CubeSats and SmallSats

This special issue concentrates on recent innovations involving the antenna systems for Cubesats and SmallSats. We invite authors to submit papers concerning antenna deployment and integration, new modeling and design methodologies, including novel applications. Antennas could be as simple as patch antennas to more sophisticated configuration such as deployable mesh reflector antennas, deployable membrane antennas, deployable reflectarrays and others. Manuscripts should conform to the requirements for regular feature articles as specified in the Information for Authors of the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine. To determine the suitability of a potential topic, interested contributors may contact the Guest Editor by e-mail. All papers must be submitted online through the AP Magazine manuscript submission website (https://mc.manuscriptcentral. com/apm-ieee). Please select the “Original Article - CubeSats Special Issue” manuscript type when submitting, as well as mentioning it in the cover letter.

Reconfigurable active integrated antenna with log‐periodic matching network structures and reduced PIN diodes for WLAN/WiMAX applications

ABSTRACT:A novel reconfigurable active integrated antenna for WiMAX/WLAN applications is presented. By using a radiating patch with a pair of folded microstrip arms in the active feedback antenna two new resonances can be achieved. Also a novel reconfigurable low noise amplifier (RLNA) with log‐Periodic matching network structures and reduced PIN diode for WiMAX/WLAN applications is presented. By using new design of dual output matching network and reduced pin diode, a novel design of the RLNA is performed. In ordinary way to switch between two frequencies, we need two pin diodes in input matching networks, and two pin diodes in output matching network. But for the first time, in this article by using dual‐band matching network and log‐periodic relationship between matching networks lengths, we reduced number of pin diodes from four to one. By using the [S] parameters of the active element, a novel design of the microwave oscillator is performed. Simulated and experimental results obtained for this antenna show that the proposed Active Integrated Antenna (AIA) has a good return loss and radiation behavior within the WiMAX/WLAN frequency range. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:787–791, 2016

Electrical excitation of waveguided surface plasmons by a light-emitting tunneling optical gap antenna.

We introduce a new type of electroplasmonic interfacing component to electrically generate surface plasmons. Specifically, an electron-fed optical tunneling gap antenna is integrated on a plasmonic waveguiding platform. When electrical charges are injected in the tunneling barrier of the gap antenna, a broad-band radiation is emitted from the feed area by a process identified as a thermal emission of hot electrons. Part of the emitted photons couples to surface plasmon modes sustained by the waveguide geometry. The transducing optical antenna is thus acting as a localized electrical source of surface plasmon polaritons. The integration of electrically-activated optical antennas into a plasmonic architecture mitigates the need for complex coupling scheme and proposes a solution for realizing nanoscale units at the interface between nano-electronics and photonics.

Design of dual‐band circular polarization for the monopole antenna by utilizing triple‐strip topology

ABSTRACTThe design and performance of a dual‐band circularly polarized monopole antenna for multisystem integration are shown in this paper. A triple‐strip monopole structure, which is fed at the microstrip line, is designed and fabricated to excite several resonances. After optimization of the geometrical parameters of the antenna, the resonances are merged, and thus a wide impedance bandwidth is obtained. The measured impedance bandwidth of a S11 < −10 dB ranges from 1.43 to 3.29 GHz, and covers most of commercial wireless communication systems. A right‐hand circularly polarized wave at 1.57 GHz for the global positioning system is not only excited, but a left‐hand circularly polarized wave at 2.33 GHz for satellite digital audio radio service system is also generated. The 3‐dB axial ratio bandwidths are about 70 MHz at the lower band (1.57 GHz) and 60 MHz at the upper band (2.33 GHz). Both of simulated and measured results are shown to validate the impedance and CP characteristics of the proposed monopole antenna. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:514–521, 2016

Design, Integration and Characterization of a Tracking Patch: Application to Elderly Monitoring

According to the latest studies, the French population witnesses a high level of elderly. It follows from this phenomenon health troubles, fragility, and for some people suffering from cognitive problems, a daily need of monitoring and tracking in the fugues cases. It is in this context that comes our research program SACHA (Search and Computerize Human Acts). Our ambition is to develop an electronic patch able to trigger alarms, detect falls and provide geolocation service. Our studies were focused on the conception and the integration of different antennas and functionalities of this system in aim to ensure a good compromise “integration/performances”. Several prototypes have been tested and validated in a nursing home.

Ultra-compact 122GHz Radar Sensor for Autonomous Aircrafts

In this paper a prototype of an ultra-compact continuous-wave (CW) and frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar system using a highly-integrated radar chip and in-package antennas will be presented. An introduction will be given on the concept of antenna integration for millimeter-wave radar and the advantages of such systems. The radar then will be described in its main components, a 122 GHz Integrated Circuit including in-package antennas as well as the acquisition and processing system realized using flexible printed circuit board (FLEX PCB) technology. Furthermore initial measurements of the radar system will be presented and explained.

Integration of Directional Antennas in an RSS Fingerprinting-Based Indoor Localization System.

In this paper, the integration of directional antennas in a room-level received signal strength (RSS) fingerprinting-based indoor localization system (ILS) is studied. The sensor reader (SR), which is in charge of capturing the RSS to infer the tag position, can be attached to an omnidirectional or directional antenna. Unlike commonly-employed omnidirectional antennas, directional antennas can receive a stronger signal from the direction in which they are pointed, resulting in a different RSS distributions in space and, hence, more distinguishable fingerprints. A simulation tool and a system management software have been also developed to control the system and assist the initial antenna deployment, reducing time-consuming costs. A prototype was mounted in a real scenario, with a number of SRs with omnidirectional and directional antennas properly positioned. Different antenna configurations have been studied, evidencing a promising capability of directional antennas to enhance the performance of RSS fingerprinting-based ILS, reducing the number of required SRs and also increasing the localization success.

English

A ground plane forms the other half for quarter wave PCB antennas. Integration of these type of antennas with other components within the same PCB of a mobile device compromise the uniformity and continuity of the ground plane due to the requirement for dense routing and component mounting to optimize the use of the limited PCB space available. This will not only detune the matching and introduce losses to the antenna, but also degrade the antenna’s performance in terms of gain, bandwidth, efficiency and radiation pattern. To address this issue, this paper presents a case study of an optimized components placement and stacking, effective PCB partitioning, routing discipline combined with right selection of antenna location to achieve a successful integration of a PCB-PIFL antenna into a mixed multilayer PCB design, which provides improved continuity and uniformity of the antenna’s co-planar ground plane, and the antenna’s and improves the overall performance. The results obtained show that the lower and upper bandwidths determined at -10dB is over 60MHz and 130MHz with return losses of -30dB and -14dB at resonant frequencies 915MHz and 1.931GHz.

Metamaterial-based antennas for integration in UWB transceivers and portable microwave handsets

Two planar antennas based on metamaterial unit-cells are designed, fabricated, and tested. The unit-cell configuration consists of H-shaped or T-shaped slits and a grounded spiral. The slits essentially behave as series left-handed capacitance and the spiral as a shunt left-handed inductance. The unit-cell was modeled and optimized using commercial 3D full-wave electromagnetic simulation tools. Both antennas employ two unit-cells, which are constructed on the Rogers RO4003 substrate with thickness of 0.8 mm and er = 3.38. The size of H-shaped and T-shaped unit cell antennas are 0.06λ0 × 0.02λ0 × 0.003λ0 and 0.05λ0 × 0.02λ0 × 0.002λ0, respectively, where λ0 is the free-space wavelength. The measurements confirm the H-shaped and T-shaped unit-cell antennas operate across 1.2-6.7 GHz and 1.1-6.85 GHz, respectively, for voltage standing wave ratio VSWR < 2, which correspond to fractional bandwidth of ~140% and ~ 145%, respectively. The H-shaped unit-cell antenna has gain and efficiency of 2-6.8 dBi and 50-86%, respectively, over its operational range. The T-shaped unit-cell antenna exhibits gain and efficiency of 2-7.1 dBi and 48-91%, respectively. The proposed antennas have specifications applicable for integration in UWB wireless communication systems and microwave portable devices. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 26:88-96, 2016.

Parasitic antenna effect in terahertz plasmon detector array for real-time imaging system

The performance uniformity of each pixel integrated with a patch antenna in a terahertz plasmon detector array is very important in building the large array necessary for a real-time imaging system. We found a parasitic antenna effect in the terahertz plasmon detector whose response is dependent on the position of the detector pixel in the illumination area of the terahertz beam. It was also demonstrated that the parasitic antenna effect is attributed to the physical structure consisting of signal pads, bonding wires, and interconnection lines on a chip and a printed circuit board. Experimental results show that the performance of the detector pixel is determined by the sum of the effects of each parasitic antenna and the on-chip integrated antenna designed to detect signals at the operating frequency. The parasitic antenna effect can be minimized by blocking the interconnections with a metallic shield.

Design, fabrication and testing of composite sandwich integral structure of spacecraft antenna

An innovative design of the space offset mirror antenna made of composite material is presented in the paper. The antenna body is designed in the form of a composite sandwich conical shell with a cutout made on the side surface. The body geometry is selected to conform to and accommodate the signal transmitting zone. The antenna reflector is located at the bottom part of the sandwich cone and the feed is placed at the top creating a compact antenna configuration. A full-size prototype of the antenna has been designed, built and tested. Design parameters of the sandwich structure have been determined based on the results of finite-element modal analysis. The experimental results of vibration and thermal cycling testing of the prototype provide a proof of concept and evidence of the design feasibility. It is shown that the stiffness characteristics of the proposed integral sandwich antenna ensure efficient applications of such composite structures in the space antennas designed for various ranges of radio wave transmission.

Design of reconfigurable active integrated microstrip antenna with switchable low‐noise amplifier/power amplifier performances for wireless local area network and WiMAX applications

A novel design of reconfigurable monopole microstrip active integrated antenna (AIA) for wireless local area network (WLAN) and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) applications is presented and discussed in this study. The primary designed reconfigurable passive antenna is capable of supporting switchable single/dual band performances while having a compact dimension of 12 × 18 mm2. The proposed reconfigurable passive antenna is integrated with an interdigital filter and a reconfigurable switchable power/low-noise amplifier (LNA) (power amplifier – PA, LNA) forming a single-port microstrip AIA which can be used as a full-duplex switchable transceiver in which the need for additional filters is eliminated because of its reconfigurable structure. A 2.3–2.56 GHz (WLAN) with 12.3 dB (PA) gain improvement and 3.3–3.59 GHz (WiMAX) with 8.5 dB (LNA) gain improvement are supported at switchable performances of the fabricated reconfigurable AIA. Measured results show that the designed passive and active antennas have proper almost omnidirectional radiation characteristics at their desired operation frequencies which is suitable for WLAN and WiMAX applications.

A Miniaturization Approach Towards 40 GHz Integrated Single Chip Receiver System for MMW Communication Networks

A full integration of single chip receiver system is remains to be a challenge in the area of millimetre wave (MMW) applications. In this paper, the integration of antenna, filter and CMOS low noise amplifier (LNA) is proposed which provides a new tri-design receiver system for MMW communication networks. A three-stage CMOS LNA is designed and integrated with co-design of filter and rectangular microstrip antenna which relaxes 50 ? impedance matching constraint for designing at 40 GHz. Moreover, the new tri-design technique heavily improves the overall system integration, minimizes the noise and reduces the chip area and thus saving overall cost of the system. A three-stage CMOS LNA design is simulated and layouted using 90 nm CMOS design kit in ADS.v.12. The simulation result of CMOS LNA shows an achievement of 3.8 dB noise figure, 15.8 dB gain and ?28 dB of return loss using proper impedance matching network. In addition, a theoretical analysis of three-stage CMOS LNA without using input---output matching network is done for the optimization of noise figure. A co-design of filter and patch antenna is also analyzed and integrated with CMOS LNA circuit. Finally, tri-design of receiver system demonstrates a peak gain of 25 dB and noise figure of 2.8 dB using proposed method.