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A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Microwave and Wireless Communications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 3294

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhen Liao

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Guest Editor

College of Electronic and Optical Engineering and College of Flexible Electronics (Future Technology), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
Interests: metamaterials; antennas; microwave circuits

Dr. Jiayuan Lu

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Guest Editor

Dr. Xuanfeng Tong

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Guest Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid evolution of wireless communications, sensing, radar, and integrated electronic systems has driven unprecedented innovation across the RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave spectrum. Advances in materials, device architectures, electromagnetic structures, and system integration are enabling higher frequencies, wider bandwidths, improved energy efficiency, and more compact form factors.

This Special Issue, “Advanced RF, Microwave, and Millimeter-Wave Antennas, Devices, and Systems,” seeks to bring together recent breakthroughs that span fundamental electromagnetic theory, component and antenna design, novel fabrication technologies, and emerging system-level applications. This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform for advancing next-generation RF to millimeter-wave technologies that support future communication, sensing, and intelligent electronic systems.

Topics of interest include the following:

Passive and active devices;
High-performance antennas;
Materials and metasurfaces;
Integrated RF front-end and transceiver architectures.

Dr. Zhen Liao
Dr. Jiayuan Lu
Dr. Xuanfeng Tong
Guest Editors

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Keywords

RF
microwave
millimeter-wave
filter
device
antennas
metasurface

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 28887 KB

Open AccessArticle

Compact Wideband SIW Filters Based on Thin-Film Technology

by Luyao Tang, Wei Han, Qi Zhao, Hao Wei, Heng Wei and Yanbin Li

Electronics 2026, 15(8), 1594; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15081594 - 10 Apr 2026

Viewed by 288

Abstract

This study introduces two compact wideband substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) filters fabricated using thin-film technology. The wideband bandpass response is achieved by incorporating interdigital capacitor (IDC) structures into a half-mode SIW (HMSIW) transmission line. An equivalent LC circuit model is formulated to analyze the influence of IDC parameters on the generation of transmission zeros. For the first filter (BPF 1), a third-order IDC coupling configuration is employed, resulting in a 1 dB passband spanning 11 GHz to 18 GHz, a minimum insertion loss of 0.66 dB, three transmission zeros that enhance stopband performance, and a compact core dimension of

0.49 λ_{g} \times 0.29 λ_{g}

. For further miniaturization, a modified HMSIW transmission line incorporating a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor at the equivalent magnetic wall is proposed. This design effectively reduces the transverse dimension of the waveguide while maintaining the original cutoff frequency. Utilizing this configuration, the second bandpass filter (BPF 2) was designed and fabricated employing double-layer ceramic thin-film technology. The resulting filter exhibits a 1 dB passband spanning 10 GHz to 18 GHz, a compact footprint measuring

0.44 λ_{g} \times 0.23 λ_{g}

, a minimum insertion loss of 0.58 dB, and features three transmission zeros. The fabricated and measured results of both filters show good agreement with simulations. Compared with previously reported wideband SIW filters, the proposed designs demonstrate comprehensive advantages in fractional bandwidth, insertion loss, out-of-band suppression, and circuit size, providing effective filtering solutions for high-density integration of microwave and millimeter-wave RF systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced RF, Microwave, and Millimeter-Wave Antennas, Devices, and Systems)

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15 pages, 2375 KB

Open AccessArticle

A 2.45 GHz 300 W GaN SSPA-Based Electrodeless Lighting System with an Intelligent Frequency Tracking Algorithm

by Sanghun Lee

Electronics 2026, 15(7), 1432; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15071432 - 30 Mar 2026

Viewed by 419

Abstract

This study proposes a 300 W class Gallium Nitride (GaN) Solid-State Power Amplifier (SSPA)-based microwave plasma generator system for implementing next-generation light sources with high brightness and color rendering at 2.45 GHz. To overcome the lifetime limitations and control constraints of conventional magnetron systems, the proposed system introduces custom packaging technology utilizing GaN-on-SiC Bare-dies fabricated via the Win-semiconductor’s NP25 process. This approach minimizes parasitic components and significantly reduces thermal resistance compared to standard packages, ensuring reliability during high-power operation. A stable RF output of 300 W was achieved through two-stage power combining. For the plasma source, an Ar-InBr-Hg gas mixture was employed to optimize optical characteristics. This gas mixture is commonly used in electrodeless plasma lamps due to its high luminous efficacy and stable discharge characteristics. To analyze the rapid impedance discontinuity during gas ignition, numerical analysis based on the Drude model was performed, theoretically identifying the complex permittivity transition of the medium and the resulting resonant frequency up-shift mechanism. To mitigate system instability during this transition, an adaptive frequency tracking and feedback control loop based on real-time VSWR monitoring was implemented. Experimental results demonstrate precise tracking within a 100 MHz frequency variable range, achieving a system efficiency of over 53% and maintaining a VSWR below 1.15:1. These results validate the practical feasibility of GaN SSPA technology in electrodeless lighting and industrial plasma applications utilizing high-power RF energy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced RF, Microwave, and Millimeter-Wave Antennas, Devices, and Systems)

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10 pages, 2043 KB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Vortex Wave Generation at E-Band Using a TWT Source and Metasurface

by Haojie Zhu, Jinjun Feng, Pan Pan, Shishuo Liu, Yueyi Zhang and Chaohai Du

Electronics 2026, 15(7), 1348; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15071348 - 24 Mar 2026

Viewed by 341

Abstract

In this paper, a novel scheme is introduced that combines a traveling wave tube (TWT) with a metasurface to generate high-power E-band vortex electromagnetic waves. The TE₁₀ mode electromagnetic wave emitted by the TWT is initially converted into a plane wave via a horn antenna and subsequently transformed into a vortex electromagnetic wave by the metasurface. The metasurface is designed and simulated, and the results show that this approach can convert the TE₁₀ mode from the TWT into vortex electromagnetic waves with a specific topological charge of

l = + 1

within the 71–76 GHz frequency range, achieving a remarkable mode purity of up to 97%. The experiment at 73.5 GHz was successfully carried out, generating vortex electromagnetic waves with the designated topological charge of

l = + 1

using this method. Although the experimentally measured mode purity was limited to 30.6%, this outcome confirms the effectiveness of the proposed method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced RF, Microwave, and Millimeter-Wave Antennas, Devices, and Systems)

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25 pages, 6014 KB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Analysis of Dual-Frequency Energy–Frequency Composite Selective Surface with Dual-Period Nested Cross Fractals

by Lei Gong, Xinru Tian, Xuan Liu, Zhiqiang Yang, Lihong Yang, Yao Li, Wanjun Wang and Liguo Wang

Electronics 2026, 15(5), 1007; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15051007 - 28 Feb 2026

Viewed by 262

Abstract

This paper presents the design of a dual-frequency energy–frequency composite selective surface based on a double-period nested cross-fractal structure. The unit cell consists of a composite metallic layer loaded with diodes, an F4B dielectric substrate, and an intermediate layer with cross-shaped feeding line. The proposed model is structurally optimized and characterized using the periodic method of moments theory and the equivalent circuit method. In addition, its performance was verified through a comparative study. The results demonstrate that under low-power conditions, the surface achieves stable frequency-selective transmission at 2.4 GHz (S-band) and 4.2 GHz (C-band), enabling highly efficient signal transmission with an insertion loss of less than 0.6 dB. Under a high field strength, it automatically switches to an energy-selective state, providing full-band shielding effectiveness of ≥18 dB across a 2.0–5.0 GHz broadband, thereby achieving stealth functionality. The designed composite selective surface exhibits excellent angular stability and features a simple biasing network that does not require additional feeding lines. Thus, this study presents a new approach for designing such surfaces for operation in the microwave regime. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced RF, Microwave, and Millimeter-Wave Antennas, Devices, and Systems)

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22 pages, 4902 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Coherent Difference Imaging Method for Antenna Decoupling in Ground-Penetrating Radar

by Zihao Wang, Shengbo Ye, Yang Xu, Menghao Zhu, Yicai Ji, Xiaojun Liu, Guangyou Fang and Yudong Fang

Electronics 2026, 15(4), 893; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15040893 - 21 Feb 2026

Viewed by 512

Abstract

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a key non-destructive technique for subsurface reconstruction, widely valued for its ability to image buried structures without disruption. Among its various implementations, vehicle-mounted GPR has emerged as particularly suitable for highway tunnel assessment due to its rapid non-contact operation. However, current systems are often constrained by closely spaced antennas that generate strong direct coupling and consequently limit detection depth. To mitigate this issue, this paper proposes an antenna decoupling method based on coherent difference imaging. A differential decoupling model is first established to characterize the relationship between conventional transceiver signals and the derived differential signals, explicitly accounting for parameters such as antenna height and target depth. Furthermore, a coherent difference imaging algorithm is developed, employing a sliding-window coherence process to resolve dual-peak artifacts and restore focused target images. Simulations validate consistent performance across varying antenna heights, while experiments demonstrate over 37.2 dB isolation in the 1–3 GHz band and markedly improved imaging focus compared to conventional configurations, thereby enhancing buried target detection and supporting reliable data interpretation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced RF, Microwave, and Millimeter-Wave Antennas, Devices, and Systems)

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15 pages, 5659 KB

Open AccessArticle

Compact S- and C-Band Single-/Dual-Band Bandpass Filters with Multiple Transmission Zeros Using Spoof Surface Plasmon Polaritons and Half-Mode Substrate Integrated Waveguide

by Baoping Ren, Pingping Zhang and Kaida Xu

Electronics 2026, 15(2), 484; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15020484 - 22 Jan 2026

Viewed by 362

Abstract

In this paper, a flower-shaped spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) unit with strong slow-wave effect is proposed to construct bandpass filters (BPFs). Benefiting from extended current path induced by addition of rotated stubs around rectangular unit, the proposed SSPPs unit exhibits reduced asymptotic frequency. Following this, a single-band filter boasting multiple transmission zeros (TZs) in its upper stopband is developed by embedding the unit into half-mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW). To improve suppression of the lower stopband, a pair of open circuited stubs are loaded to produce TZs and enhance its frequency selectivity. Consequently, the single-band BPF realizes an impressive roll-off rate of 0.116 dB/MHz. Subsequently, geometric dimensions of the open-circuited stubs are modified to dispose the TZs into passband and acquire dual-band operation. In addition, defected ground structures (DGSs) are loaded to broaden the bandwidth of notch between two passbands. Finally, a dual-band filter with a wide suppression band of 0.50 GHz is developed. With roll-off rates of 0.096 and 0.119 dB/MHz, the filter demonstrates good selectivity as well. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced RF, Microwave, and Millimeter-Wave Antennas, Devices, and Systems)

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16 pages, 20049 KB

Open AccessArticle

A New Hybrid Sensor Design Based on a Patch Antenna with an Enhanced Sensitivity Using Frequency-Selective Surfaces (FSS) in the Microwave Region for Non-Invasive Glucose Concentration Level Monitoring

by Umut Kose, Guliz Sili, Bora Doken, Emre Sedar Saygili, Funda Akleman and Mesut Kartal

Electronics 2026, 15(2), 427; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15020427 - 19 Jan 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 631

Abstract

In this study, a hybrid sensor based on a defective square-truncated patch antenna (STPA) and a frequency-selective surface (FSS) was analyzed numerically and experimentally for different glucose–distilled water solutions. Here, an FSS was employed to enhance the sensitivity of the hybrid sensor. The [...] Read more.

t a n δ

) and relative permittivity (

ε_{r}

) caused by different glucose concentrations applied to the sample under test (SUT). An open-ended coaxial probe was used to measure the complex permittivity of the solutions, which was then fitted to the Debye relaxation model. The simulated and experimental results of the novel sensor showed good agreement in a glucose concentration monitoring application. The sensor spanned the glucose range from 0 mg/dL to 5000 mg/dL, exhibiting a sensitivity of 55.44 kHz/mgdL⁻¹ and a figure of merit (FOM) of 6.23 ×

10^{- 4}

(1/mgdL⁻¹) in the experiments and 53.60 kHz/mgdL⁻¹ and 1.71 ×

10^{- 4}

(1/mgdL⁻¹) FOM in the simulations. When solutions with different concentrations were tested in the SUT, the resonance frequency of the antenna (

f_{0}

, in GHz) changed. To further characterize the sensor response, the relationship between the glucose concentration (C, in mg/dL) and

f_{0}

was examined. A regression-based prediction model was constructed to map the measured scattering parameters to the glucose concentration, yielding a coefficient of determination (

R^{2}

) of 0.976. The high sensitivity, compact size, and compatibility with planar fabrication suggest that the proposed hybrid sensor has the potential to contribute to the development of non-invasive glucose-monitoring systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced RF, Microwave, and Millimeter-Wave Antennas, Devices, and Systems)

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