Rethinking millimeter-wave antenna systems
Roel Budé defended his PhD thesis at the Department of Electrical Engineering on March 12th.
![[Translate to English:]](https://assets.w3.tue.nl/w/fileadmin/_processed_/5/2/csm_Bude_Roel_EE_PhD_AS_2ef87d0586.jpg "[Translate to English:]")
Future generations of wireless communications, such as the fifth (5G) and sixth (6G) generations, promise data rates of gigabits to tens of gigabits per second per user, and for multiple users simultaneously. This data rate increase motivates the move toward millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequencies in the range from 30GHz to 300GHz. The move towards higher frequencies brings additional complexities and issues that must be overcome. For his PhD thesis, Roel Budé explored ways to address these complexities and issues.
The move towards higher frequencies as part of the shift to 5G and 6G wireless communication technologies will bring additional complexities and issues that must be overcome. The path loss, attenuation by blocking objects, atmospheric conditions such as rain and wind, and reduced power output and power efficiency of silicon-based power amplifiers all pose challenges.
Time to reinvent
For this reason it is necessary to reinvent our communications infrastructure and come up with advanced concepts that can alleviate or circumvent these issues.
In addition, efficient characterization and calibration of integrated antenna systems at mmWave becomes an increasingly important topic, as calibration has a significant effect on the performance of wireless devices.
New system concepts
In his PhD thesis, Roel Budé outlines various new system concepts which explore and address issues with future wireless communcation technologies, and he does so in a number of unique ways.
Budé considers highly directive and reconfigurable wide-scan focal plane array antennas for point-to-multipoint communications, outphasing array feeds for increased power generation and improved efficiency, and sparse irregular antenna arrays with digital beamforming for reliability improvements of wireless access systems.
Furthermore, analog radio-over-fiber connections to reduce the complexity and cost of the remote antenna stations are considered, and a calibration and characterization method for analog beamforming antenna systems and analog beamforming focal plane array antennas is studied.
Title of PhD thesis: Rethinking Millimeter-Wave Antenna Systems: Innovative Solutions for a New Generation of Wireless Communications. Supervisors: Bart Smolders and Ulf Johannsen.