Xavier Begaud

Enhanced Broadside Gain of an Ultrawideband Diamond Dipole Antenna Using a Hybrid Reflector

This communication studies the effect of a hybrid reflector on the radiation pattern of an ultrawideband diamond dipole antenna. The cause of a split radiation pattern in the broadside direction appearing when using a uniform artificial-magnetic-conductor-based reflector is investigated and is found to be due to destructive interference in the broadside direction produced by surface currents localized in certain areas of the reflector. A hybrid reflector is then proposed to mitigate this problem using both electrical and magnetic conductors. This solution enhances the gain in the broadside direction of the ultrawideband antenna. A complete antenna with a feeding system and a hybrid reflector has been fabricated and the measurement results are presented.

TWEETHER future generation W-band backhaul and access network technology

Point to multipoint (PmP) distribution at millimeter wave is a frontier so far not yet crossed due to the formidable technological challenge that the high atmospheric attenuation poses. The transmission power at level of tens of Watts required at millimeter wave for a reference range of 1 km is not available by any commercial or laboratory solid state devices. However, the availability of PmP with multigigabit data rate is pivotal for the new high density small cell networks for 4G and 5G and to solve the digital divide in areas where fiber is not convenient or possible to be deployed. In this paper, the advancements of the novel approach proposed by the EU Horizon 2020 TWEETHER project to create the first and fastest outdoor W-band (92 – 95 GHz) PmP wireless network are described. For the first time a new generation W-band traveling wave tube high power amplifier is introduced in the transmission hub to provide the enabling power for a wide area distribution.

TWEETHER project for W-band wireless networks

The European Horizon 2020 project TWEETHER aims to make a breakthrough in wireless networks to overcome the congestion of the actual mobile networks and foster the new 5G networks. A European Consortium including four universities and five companies from four European countries is devoting a relevant effort to realize novel terminals and transmission hubs to operate in the W-band (93–95 GHz). This paper will describe the advancement of the project.