Antenna Systems for Coherent THz Sensing (C05)

• Subject Area: Communication Technology and Networks, High-Frequency Technology and Photonic Systems, Signal Processing and Machine Learning for Information Technology ; Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering
• Term: since 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 287022738

C05 explores novel approaches for coherent Near-Field (NF) probing, where an ultra-small, minimal-invasive probe head combined with tailored active circuitry is crucial. These techniques are utilized for two MARIE-relevant applications, namely the over-the-air inspection of mm-wave/sub-THz devices and the material mapping of a scatterer’s internal structure. In both cases, the contactless NF scanning shall be done close to the object’s surface to also capture the higher order spatial harmonics, which are vanished in the far-field. Besides LNAs, subharmonic down-conversion is most promising for the active circuitry, which shall be placed close to the probe head and be integrated into a Si-micromachined compact package ensuring minimized disturbance of the field to be measured. Together with M03’s fast full-wave simulator based on spatial harmonic field expansion, we can set up a complementary “measurement-arrangement/forward-solver combination” to explore novel material mapping techniques.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 196: Mobile Material Characterization and Localization by Electromagnetic Sensing
• Applicant Institution: Universität Duisburg-Essen
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Daniel Erni, until 12/2020; Dr.-Ing. Andreas Rennings