Description
This work focuses on the analysis and design of large-scale millimeter-wave andterahertz (mmWave/THz) beamforming apertures (e.g., reconfigurable reflective surfaces–
RRSs). As such, the small wavelengths and ample bandwidths of these frequencies enable
the development of high-spatial-resolution imaging and high-throughput wireless
communication systems that leverage electrically large apertures to form high-gain
steerable beams.
For the rigorous evaluation of these systems’ performance in realistic application
scenarios, full-wave simulations are needed to capture all the exhibited electromagnetic
phenomena. However, the small wavelengths of mmWave/THz bands lead to enormous
meshes in conventional full-wave simulators. Thus, a novel numerical decomposition
technique is presented, which decomposes the full-wave models in smaller domains with
less meshed elements, enabling their computationally efficient analysis. Thereafter, this
method is leveraged to study a novel radar configuration that employs a rotating linear
antenna with beam steering capabilities to form 3D images. This imaging process requires
fewer elements to carry out high-spatial-resolution imaging compared to traditional 2D
phased arrays, constituting a perfect candidate in low-profile, low-cost applications.
Afterward, a high-yield nanofabrication technique for mmWave/THz graphene
switches is presented. The measured graphene sheet impedances are incorporated into
equivalent circuit models of coplanar switches to identify the optimum mmWave/THz
switch topology that would enable the development of large-scale RRSs.ii
Thereon, the process of integrating the optimized graphene switches into largescale mmWave/THz RRSs is detailed. The resulting RRSs enable dynamic beam steering
achieving 4-bits of phase quantization –for the first time in the known literature–
eliminating the parasitic lobes and increasing the aperture efficiency. Furthermore, the
devised multi-bit configurations use a single switch-per-bit topology retaining low system
complexity and RF losses. Finally, single-bit RRSs are modified to offer single-lobe
patterns by employing a surface randomization technique. This approach allows for the use
of low-complexity single-bit configurations to suppress the undesired quantization lobes
without residing to the use of sophisticated multi-bit topologies.
The presented concepts pave the road toward the implementation and proliferation
of large-scale reconfigurable beamforming apertures that can serve both as mmWave/THz
imagers and as relays or base stations in future wireless communication applications.
Details
Title
- Millimeter-Wave and Terahertz Reconfigurable Apertures for Imaging and Wireless Communication Applications
Contributors
- Theofanopoulos, Panagiotis (Author)
- Trichopoulos, Georgios (Thesis advisor)
- Balanis, Constantine (Committee member)
- Aberle, James (Committee member)
- Bliss, Dan (Committee member)
- Groppi, Christopher (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Date Created
The date the item was original created (prior to any relationship with the ASU Digital Repositories.)
2021
Subjects
Resource Type
Collections this item is in
Note
- Partial requirement for: Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2021
- Field of study: Electrical Engineering