Evaluation of electromagnetic power deposition in a spherical multilayer head in the near field of a linear antenna

The canonical problem of the radiation of an elementary dipole close to a stratified sphere representing a simplified model of human head is investigated in this paper. The proposed approach is a flexible method of investigation about the influence on Specific Absorption Rate (S.A.R.) evaluation of tissue dielectric parameters and geometry as well as a useful tool to test numerical codes. The solution of the electromagnetic (e.m.) problem is achieved in a closed form; results highlight the position of maximum S.A.R. values and their dependence on frequency: for particular layer thicknesses and dielectric parameters, the maximum absorption can occur in the frequency range of cellular phones.     

Enhanced electromagnetic power deposition in a lossy medium

It is demonstrated that an aperture antenna, excited by a leaky wave, will transfer power into an homogeneous lossy half-space at levels exceeding expectation. However, such local enhancements are only possible in the near-field region in the central part of the array. With the proper choice of parameters, enhancements of the order of 15 dB can be achieved. The calculated results are relevant to hyperthermic heating in cancer therapy and to related problems in biological hazards     

An efficient method for the electromagnetic analysis of slotted-waveguide antenna arrays

A rigorous method for the analysis of a broad class of multielement slotted-waveguide antenna arrays is described. The original electromagnetic problem is reduced to a system of integrodifferential equations, which is efficiently solved on the basis of the Galerkin method with consideration for the edge singularity of the electromagnetic field. The basis functions are the weighted Chebyshev polynomials of the first and second kinds. The accuracy of the obtained results is confirmed via comparison with available experimental and theoretical results. Features of the frequency characteristics of nonresonant arrays are analyzed.     

Joint optimal power control and beamforming in wireless networksusing antenna arrays

The interference reduction capability of antenna arrays and the power control algorithms have been considered separately as means to increase the capacity in wireless communication networks. The minimum variance distortionless response beamformer maximizes the signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) when it is employed in the receiver of a wireless link. In a system with omnidirectional antennas, power control algorithms are used to maximize the SINR as well. We consider a system with beamforming capabilities in the receiver, and power control. An iterative algorithm is proposed to jointly update the transmission powers and the beamformer weights so that it converges to the jointly optimal beamforming and transmission power vector. The algorithm is distributed and uses only local interference measurements. In an uplink transmission scenario, it is shown how base assignment can be incorporated in addition to beamforming and power control, such that a globally optimum solution is obtained. The network capacity and the saving in mobile power are evaluated through numerical study     

Meander-slot and U-slot antenna arrays for wide-band spatial power combiners

In this work, we present a multilayered waveguide transition containing several interacting printed antenna arrays for spatial power combining applications. Narrow-band resonant rectangular slot antennas used in earlier designs are replaced by meander-slot antennas and their modifications, in order to increase the frequency bandwidth and efficiency of the system. Numerical results for finite arrays of meander-slot and U-slot antennas show significant advantages in scattering characteristics in comparison to traditionally used rectangular slot antenna arrays.     

Optimal power deposition with finite-sized, planar hyperthermiaapplicator arrays

Improved hyperthermia applicator technology is allowing finer spatial power resolution within the heated tissue volume. Effective utilization of these planar applicator arrays requires an understanding of the interrelationships between the lateral dimensions of the tumor and the applicators, the power field produced by the applicators, the amount of surface cooling, the tumor tissue blood perfusion, and the normal tissue blood perfusion. These interrelationships are investigated using three-dimensional power patterns and temperature fields produced by optimizing the power amplitudes of the individual applicators located within an array of small, but finite, planar applicators. Five major conclusions are obtained. First, optimization works and is effective in determining optimal power fields. Second, for optimal treatments the lateral dimensions of a single superficial applicator need to extend beyond the tumor boundary. Third, surface cooling is needed to reduce the high normal tissue temperatures at shallow depths. Fourth, finer power resolution becomes more important as the tumor size decreases, but, little improvement in the temperature field is achieved beyond a 3 x 3 array configuration. Fifth, increasing the normal blood perfusion rate can decrease the temperature on the tumor boundary if direct power deposition on that boundary is unavailable.     

PA calibration in TDMA antenna arrays

The behavior of a 5.2-GHz transmit antenna array in time division multiple acess operation is investigated, where the power amplifiers are only switched on during the data bursts. Using monolithically integrated power amplifiers, two thermal time-constants are found, associated with gain and phase changes that alter the antenna pattern. In this letter, the correlation of these changes between multiple channels is experimentally studied to derive guidelines for the calibration of such an array. It is found that changes within the typical burst duration are well correlated and no time-dependent calibration is needed. Thermal changes linked to a second time-constant lead to a calibration error.     

Optimization techniques for antenna arrays

Various techniques for optimizing the performance indices of antenna arrays are discussed. In particular, methods for maximizing array directivity and signal-to-noise power ratio are reviewed. These performance indices are expressible as a ratio of two Hermitian forms, which has a certain special property to enable the facile determination of both its maximum value and the conditions under which this maximum is attained. Special maximization procedures by excitation amplitude and phase adjustments, by spacing perturbation, by phase adjustments only, and by a coordinate transformation with constraints on the array pattern are examined. For wire antennas the method of moments using a subsectioning technique can be applied to obtain numerical answers which include mutual-coupling effects. Methods for considering large arrays and for the maximization of power gain are indicated.     

Periodic receiving broad-band antenna arrays

The principle of the periodic receiving antenna array composed of arbitrary antenna units has been developed. A generalization of the well-known principle of log-periodic antennas is presented and applied also to antenna units formed by the system of dipoles with active networks. This reveals the potentialities for the exploitation of this principle in the miniaturization of directional antenna systems.     

Synthesis of linear antenna arrays

Synthesis of antenna arrays employing theL_{2}-norm as well as theL_{infty}-norm is discussed. The approximation in theL_{infty}-norm is obtained making use of Lawson's algorithm. A general iterative perturbation technique has been evolved for pattern synthesis for the case when the antenna currents alone are varied as web as for the case when both the antenna currents and the element positions are simultaneously varied. A few illustrative examples are given. The convergence of the iteration and the uniqueness of the solution are discussed.     

A new quasi-Yagi antenna for planar active antenna arrays

In this paper, a novel broadband planar antenna based on the classic Yagi-Uda dipole antenna is presented, and its usefulness as an array antenna is explored. This “quasi-Yagi” antenna is realized on a high dielectric-constant substrate, and is completely compatible with microstrip circuitry and solid-state devices. This antenna achieves a measured 48% frequency bandwidth for voltage standing-wave ratio <2, better than a 12-dB front-to-back ratio, smaller than -15 dB cross polarization, and 3-5-dBi absolute gain. Mutual coupling of the antenna in an array environment is investigated. Finally, three simple arrays are presented, demonstrating the usefulness of the antenna as an array element. This novel antenna should find wide application in wireless communication systems, power combining, phased arrays, and active arrays, as well as millimeter-wave imaging arrays     

An electromagnetic bandgap resonator antenna

This paper introduces a new explanation of the electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) material properties using the study of the EBG structures in the frequency domain and reciprocal space. Once the behavior of such a material is understood, the properties of the EBG are used in order to make an EBG antenna. The antenna is realized with dielectric EBG rods. Its directivity is increased compared to a simple patch antenna. Such a device allows us to obtain a high gain with a very thin structure.     

Three-dimensional electromagnetic cross-well inversion

An inversion algorithm for a vertical magnetic dipole source and a vertical magnetic field component receiver is presented. A three-dimensional integral equation algorithm is used for calculating the electromagnetic response of a particular trial reservoir model. The inversion formalism used is the Marquardt technique of nonlinear least-squares optimization. The system derivatives are calculated using an exact expression derived from reciprocity. The derivative calculation involves introducing sources at the receiver locations with subsequent back-substitution into the impedance matrix equation. The inversion algorithm was tested on data gathered with a laboratory scale model. Convergence to the neighborhood of the correct model from distant initial trial models is good     

Investigation on antenna coupling in pulsed arrays

Pulsed arrays are becoming popular in new ultrawide-band applications to achieve long-range coverage, high capacity and to identify the angle of arrival of multiple echoes in complex environments. As in the monochromatic regime, distortion of ultrawide-band transmitted and received signals can result from the coupling between individual radiators that are in close proximity. This paper investigates the time-domain coupling in finite arrays that radiate short pulses, by introducing the concept of time-domain "active" array factor and "active" element factor. The proposed model highlights the signal-distortion phenomenology and obtains useful guidelines to reduce pulse coupling, even in dense arrays, by a proper choice of the geometrical and electrical parameters.     

Aperture coupled to stripline antenna element for integrated antenna arrays

A new stripline-fed aperture coupled antenna element is proposed. An additional slot in a ground plane allows achievement of efficient electromagnetic coupling with the radiating element and good return loss of the antenna fed by a stripline. The described radiating elements can be easily integrated with a feeding network designed in the most commonly used stripline technique when a large antenna array is to be developed.     

Ray analysis of conformal antenna arrays

The aperture design of conformal arrays is predicated on the knowledge of the element patterns and coupling coefficients in a mutually coupled environment. For equispaced identical slits on a perfectly conducting cylinder, a previous analysis has utilized the modal theory of periodic structures to simplify the calculations. Modal procedures are rather difficult to apply when the array surface has a more general, though rotationally symmetric and separable, shape; they become practically inapplicable when the surface is nonseparable. These difficulties may be overcome by recourse to the geometrical theory of diffraction and utilization of surface rays whose properties are determined from an appropriately defined local environment on the array surface. Depending on the problem under consideration, the local environment may involve either the unperforated array surface or a surface with periodic loading. It is shown how the surface ray technique can be applied to the analysis of mutual coupling in full ring arrays and finite arrays on a circular cylinder, and in nonperiodic or almost periodic arrays on surfaces of variable curvature. For finite arrays, a theoretical model leading to a representation of finiteness effects in terms of multiple scattering of surface rays of the periodic array structure between the edge discontinuities is confirmed by independently calculated numerical results. Although the demonstrations in this paper are confined to two-dimensional geometries, the procedure is applicable also to three-dimensional configurations.     

Genetic design of linear antenna arrays

Discusses a way to optimize both the topology and the numerical parameters of an antenna design. The approach relies on an “antenna language” to define how antennas are constructed, and a genetic algorithm to create new designs using this language. The grammatical rules of a language can be very vague or very specific, depending on the purpose of the designer. With a vague grammar, genetic algorithms search a very large design space, and can occasionally find unexpected solutions to a design problem. Other times, they completely fail to find a reasonable solution because of the vastness of the search space. In this case, including knowledge about the problem into the grammar narrows the search to a region expected to yield good results. This yields more conventional design solutions that usually perform reasonably well. In an example, two languages were used to design a linear antenna array. The general language allowed a wide variety of designs, while the Yagi-log language confined the search to topologies known to perform well. The performance of the antennas produced by both languages was superior to that of a conventional log-periodic design. Further, the Yagi-log design was more fit than the unconventional design from the general language, illustrating the benefits of including knowledge in the grammar     

Derivative constrained optimum broad-band antenna arrays

The optimization problem corresponding to the design of a presteered broadband processor with maximally flat second-order spatial response in the look direction is discussed. The constraints corresponding to necessary and sufficient conditions for second-order flatness are presented. The nonlinearly constrained optimization approach is unable to consistently locate the global minimum. An approach to solving this problem that essentially converts the nonconvex optimization problem into a parameterized set of convex problems is presented. In the case of 2-D scenarios, the global optimum is determined by finding the roots of a cubic function. The characteristics of the constraints, including the minimum number required and the dependence on the choice of coordinate systems, are examined