Feasibility Study of an Antenna with Electronically Reconfigurable Aperture

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Holger Maune
• Subject Area: Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering
• Term: from 2017 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 397821751

Electronically controllable antennas are an important component for future communications systems. For example, agile antennas are required for future space multiplexing methods in mobile communications, which makes it possible to permanently ensure a connection between a mobile station and a base station. Group antennas with electronically controllable beam steering are an important component for the above mentioned applications. Compared to antennas with mechanical beam steering, they have the advantage of a considerably lighter and more compact design and can be easily integrated. A problem with all group antennas is the reduction of the gain away from broadside. This is caused by the superimposition of the fields of the individual antenna elements, which is given by the phase assignment, the geometrical arrangement and the directional characteristics of the individual antenna elements. In this research project, an antenna concept is being investigated for the first time, in which the radiation direction can be adjusted without using a group antenna or a reflectarray. The idea is based on a parallel plate lens with reconfigurable aperture. The basis for the electronic control are liquid crystals, which are used by means of a Rexolite container in a curved parallel plate environment and are controlled with a biasing network. The feasibility of such an antenna is to be evaluated with a demonstrator in the V-band.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants