Chris D. Gamlath

Microwave Properties of an Inhomogeneous Optically Illuminated Plasma in a Microstrip Gap

The optical illumination of a microstrip gap on a thick semiconductor substrate creates an inhomogeneous electron-hole plasma in the gap region. This allows the study of the propagation mechanism through the plasma region. This paper uses a multilayer plasma model to explain the origin of high losses in such structures. Measured results are shown up to 50 GHz and show good agreement with the simulated multilayer model. The model also allows the estimation of certain key parameters of the plasma, such as carrier density and diffusion length, which are difficult to measure by direct means. The detailed model validation performed here will enable the design of more complex microwave structures based on this architecture. While this paper focuses on monocrystalline silicon as the substrate, the model is easily adaptable to other semiconductor materials such as GaAs.

Microwave characterisation of optically illuminated silicon

This paper presents an investigation into the use of photoconductive silicon for controlling microwave circuits. Initial experiments show that significant changes in the S21 characteristics of a 9 GHz silicon end coupled filter can be implemented. The results are compared against an equivalent copper conductivity.

Tunable, concurrent multiband, single chain radio architecture for low energy 5G-RANs

This invited paper considers a key next step in the design of radio architectures aimed at supporting low energy consumption in 5G heterogeneous radio access networks. State-of-the-art mobile radios usually require one RF transceiver per standard, each working separately at any given time. Software defined radios, while spanning a wide range of standards and frequency bands, also work separately at any specific time. In 5G radio access networks, where continuous, multiband connectivity is envisaged, this conventional radio architecture results in high network power consumption. In this paper, we propose the novel concept of a concurrent multiband frequency-agile radio (CM-FARAD) architecture, which simultaneously supports multiple standards and frequency bands using a single, tunable transceiver. We discuss the subsystem radio design approaches for enabling the CM-FARAD architecture, including antennas, power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers and analogue to digital converters. A working prototype of a dual-band CM-FARAD test-bed is also presented together with measured salient performance characteristics.

An Optically Tunable Cavity-Backed Slot Antenna

There is a growing pressure on antenna designers to provide ever increasing operating bandwidth, efficiency, and flexibility. Emerging communications standards are requiring operation over wide frequency ranges, often with multiple, separated bands of operation. This communication proposes and demonstrates an optically tunable cavity backed slot antenna. Through the incorporation of four silicon bridging pieces and a fiber coupled laser, the operating frequency can be tuned between 4.2 and 6 GHz. Antenna efficiency has been measured and ranges between 36% and 62% depending upon the combination of frequency and tuning state, with the gain taking values between 4.3 and 6.9 dBi. An effective fabrication process for the incorporation of silicon into the antenna has been described, as well as methods for effectively simulating the optically generated conductivity. Simulations and measurements show good agreement, and several proposed improvements are proposed for this novel and flexible tuning technology.