Advanced mm-Wave and Terahertz Antenna Systems

Dear Colleagues,

We are living in a time when the impact of technology on humanity is more important than ever. From mobile to satellite and military communications and ubiquitous computing to pervasive connectivity, new capabilities have been changing how we interact with devices everywhere in our lives and impacting how we experience the world. Within this framework, millimeter wave (mm-wave) and terahertz systems have attracted significant interest for various applications, such as wireless sensing, imaging, and communications. The 76-81 GHz frequency band is allocated for the automotive radar system which provides the function of collision detection and blind spot detection to improve driving efficiency and safety. Mm-wave radars have been used to track breathing and heartbeat rate to detect sleep apnea. Indoor body posture tracking can also be used for fall detection. Furthermore, the high precision mm-wave radar component can have a small size and be integrated with mobile devices for various gesture recognitions. Moreover, the mm-wave is an enabling technology for 5G/6G networks and Internet of Things (IoT) allowing applications to stream ultra-high-definition video and increase the quality of service (QoS) for densely populated areas as well as remote surgery, autonomous vehicles, and vehicle-to-vehicle communications which are latency sensitive.

Most mm-wave systems require more than one antenna operating at different frequencies/polarizations and capable of operating in different complex environments. The main challenges of communication systems for IoT and smart industrial applications include the need for robust connectivity, the large number of frequency bands to be covered, and efficient, cost-effective, scalable, and reliable antenna systems. In such a framework, radiating structures represent critical sub-systems of smart devices. Antennas and sensors for this class of devices must be compact, lightweight, inexpensive, and deliver reasonable performance in ever-shrinking footprints under extreme interference conditions. Furthermore, multifunction antennas with adaptive properties are key elements for enabling next-generation IoT applications.

The research in mm-wave antennas is multidisciplinary and includes knowledge of electromagnetic principles and theory, modeling and simulations, physics, material science, system performance assessment and optimization techniques, energy efficiency, and radio network planning.

Prof. Dr. Luciano Mescia
Dr. Pietro Bia
Topic Editors