Dr Timothy Hill

This paper presents details of the indoor wideband and directional propagation measurements at 26 GHz in which a wideband channel sounder using a millimeter wave (mmWave) signal analyzer and vector signal generator was employed. The setup provided 2 GHz bandwidth and the mechanically steerable directional lens antenna with 5 degrees beamwidth provides 5 degrees of directional resolution over the azimuth. Measurements provide path loss, delay and spatial spread of the channel. Angular and delay dispersion are presented for line-of-sight (LoS) and non-line-of-sight (NLoS) scenarios.

This paper presents a design procedure for a phased array feed network. The procedure is validated by designing and fabricating a set of 28 GHz 8-element beam steerable antennas. Within the feed, a Taylor n-bar amplitude taper is implemented using unequal power dividers. At boresight, the taper reduced the sidelobe level by 2.84 dB to -15.2 dB. Beam steering from 0° ? 48° is achieved using meanders. An empirical formula for the meander widths is proposed, enabling independent control of amplitude and phase. Empirical formulae for the initial parameters of the unequal dividers are also proposed. The wide transmission lines in this feed network are compatible with low-cost PCB fabrication techniques.

A conformal transmitarray with thinned control is presented, operating at 28 GHz. Its side panels are rotated to align with the maximum steering angle, increasing the gain and reducing the scan loss. The transmitarray is fed by an 8-element linear phased array antenna. Beam focusing to +/- 53 degrees is demonstrated for two different directions, using combinations of crossed-slot unit cells. A unit cell placement rule is proposed to significantly reduce (i.e. thin) the required number of reconfigurable unit cells. A filling factor of 43% was achieved compared to a fully populated design. This reduces the cost and biasing complexity. By minimising scan loss, this antenna could improve the performance of 5G small-cell access points.

Beam steering impairments adversely affect antenna performance at wider steering angles. Scan loss degrades the antenna gain, and hence the link budget. To address this problem, antennas designs based on phased arrays, lenses, and transmitarrays are proposed. Millimetre wave beamforming within 5G cell sectors is considered as an application scenario. Feed networks for an 8-element phased array, operating at 28 GHz, were designed using unequal power dividers. A Taylor amplitude distribution was applied to reduce the sidelobe level to -15.2 dB at boresight. Prototypes were fabricated in microstrip, using meanders to steer the beam. Cascaded Fresnel lenses were placed around the array, to enhance the gain. By tilting the lenses to align with the steered beam, the lenses increased the gain by 3.19 dB at ±52°, and by a further 1.5 dB when repositioned in simulation. Asymmetric amplitude distributions were applied to the array to prevent the main lobe from splitting. Diffraction theory was used to analyse the focusing properties of the lens arrangement. The fabricated prototype exhibited a bandwidth of 1.75 GHz. Antennas were designed and simulated for line-of-sight MIMO scenarios. An envelope correlation coefficient below 0.0356 was maintained for both designs. 2D SISO beam steering was also simulated. Achievable data rates were estimated from the antenna parameters, and the effect of interference was evaluated. Scan loss was mitigated for the two antenna rows within the focal region. A conformal transmitarray was designed, using 1-bit unit cells based on crossed-slots. A unit cell placement rule was proposed to reduce the number of electronically reconfigurable cells by 59%. A measured gain of 12.5 dBi and a simulated total efficiency of 75% were obtained at boresight and the maximum steering angle of 53°. By combining reconfigurable lenses with phased arrays, the focusing directivity is able to mitigate scan loss.

Millimeter wave lens antennas will be essential for future wireless access. Conventionally, they increase the gain in the boresight direction only. In this paper, cascaded Fresnel zone plate lenses are combined with a phased array to increase the gain at wide steering angles of ±52°. The side lenses are tilted to align with the maximum steering angle, and cascaded to increase the focusing gain. The inner lenses increase the gain by 2.45 dB at boresight, and by 3.19 dB at the maximum steering angle. When the side lenses are repositioned, the simulated focusing gain increases to 4.69 dB. Asymmetric amplitude distributions are proposed to prevent the main lobe from splitting. An 8-dement 7-lens prototype operating at 28 GHz achieved a gain from 12.96 dBi to 15.35 dBi with a bandwidth of at least 1.3 GHz for all measured beam directions. The maximum measured azimuthal beamwidth was 27°. A design procedure and a theoretical analysis of diffraction through the lenses are provided. By increasing the SNR, this beamfonning antenna could improve the coverage of 3-sector 5G microcell base stations, and support gigabit wireless links for vehicular, rail, and satellite communications.