Fourier Optics Field Representations for the Design of Wide Field-of-View Imagers at Sub-millimetre Wavelengths

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Feasibility Study of Quasi-Optical MIMO Antennas for Radiative Near-Field Links

This article presents a feasibility study of single feed per beam quasi-optical (QO) antennas for enabling incoherent multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) array front-end architectures at 270 GHz. The objective is to reach ultrafast and radiated energy efficient point-to-point (PtP) wireless links by exploiting the multimode capacity of radiative (Fresnel region) near-field links. In this article, we present a feasibility study of the number of independent links achievable with QO MIMO incoherent arrays. For this purpose, we present theoretical curves of the level of EM co-coupling and interference between the multiple modes versus the link distance. The study focuses at the 252-325 GHz spectral bandwidth defined by the new IEEE 802.15.3d standard. A specific and new MIMO array architecture operating at 270 GHz based on a 2 × 2 array of parabolic reflectors is proposed for a link distance of 100 m. The proposed PtP MIMO system is capable of generating 16 dual-polarized modes in a 70 GHz bandwidth with signal-to-interference ratio >17 dB and a power co-coupling coefficient of -3 dB without the need for interference cancelation techniques. Combining this architecture with wideband front ends could potentially lead to an aggregated data rate in the order of terabit per second in a PtP wireless line-of-sight link, not previously achieved experimentally to the best of authors' knowledge. Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Tera-Hertz Sensin

Analysis of Absorber Based Imaging Systems with Distributed Incoherent Sources

Passive imaging cameras at sub-millimeter wave-lengths are currently entering a new era with the development of large format arrays of direct detectors. Several of these arrays are being developed with bare absorbing meshes without any antenna coupling (lens or horn) structures. This paper uses a spectral electromagnetic model to analyze the performance of absorber based focal plane arrays in comparison to antenna based systems. The methodology is particularly suited to derive guidelines for optimizing the resolution and the sensitivity of thermal imaging cameras at sub-mm wavelengths. The proposed method is validated with full-wave simulations.Accepted Author ManuscriptTera-Hertz Sensin

A Shaped Quartz Lens Antenna for Wide Scanning Sub-millimeter Imaging Systems

Lens based focal plane arrays (FPAs) with thousand elements are promising candidates for wide scanning sub-millimeter security imaging systems. To analyze such arrays, a field correlation approach is employed to design an FPA of quartz lenses coupled to a reflector. We consider quartz as the lens material due to its lower cost compared to silicon lenses. Here we focus on the design of the lens element at the edge of the FPA. The reflector’s scanning angle at the edge of its FPA is 20.3°, and the lens surface is shaped to couple better to the reflector. The far-field performance of the optimized shaped lens is validated by full-wave simulations with excellent agreement. The simulated scan loss of the system is 2.6 dB. A prototype was fabricated and will be measured to validate the simulation.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Tera-Hertz Sensin

MIMO Antennas for Radiative Near-Field Links: A Comparative Study at 300 GHz

This paper presents a comparative study of different Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) array architectures to realize high-capacity Point-to-Point (PtP) wireless links for potential use in future 6G backhauling applications. This study focuses on the 220-320 GHz band, defined by the new IEEE 802.15.3d standard. Both phased array and focal plane array architectures are studied, considering the link to operate in the radiative near-field. The theoretically achievable capacities are presented based on the channel matrix estimated in the radiative near-field and the application of Shannon’s capacity formula. It is found that capacities well above Tbps rates can theoretically be realized, even without the use of interference cancellation techniques.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Tera-Hertz Sensin

On the Design of Wide Band Multi-lens Focal Plane Arrays for the TIFUUN Instrument

Terahertz Integral Field Unit with Universal Nanotechnology (TIFUUN) is a wideband spectral mapper operating at (sub)-millimeter wavelengths. The instrument is under development for ground-based astronomy and will be deployed to the ASTE telescope in Chile. In this work, the building blocks for TIFUUN’s wideband (2:1) mappers are discussed. These components are based on multi-lens focal plane arrays of leaky lens antennas coupled to filter banks based on Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Tera-Hertz Sensin

Evaluation of Mutual Coupling in Integrated Lens Array Antennas

Future applications in sensing and communications at (sub)-millimetre wavelengths will benefit from having large integrated coherent arrays. The use of lens arrays will enable the fabrication of integrated antenna front-ends with many potential independent beams as well as dynamic scanning capabilities. For applications such as MIMO communications, interferometric arrays and Tx/Rx duplexing capabilities, a key design parameter can be the mutual coupling between the integrated antenna front-ends. In this contribution we model such mutual coupling for lens antenna arrays using Geometrical Optics technique combined with a bidirectional forward ray-tracing. The validation of the methodology against full wave simulations is also presented here.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Tera-Hertz Sensin

Coherent Fourier Optics Model for the Synthesis of Large Format Lens Based Focal Plane Arrays

Future sub millimeter imagers are being developed with large focal plane arrays (FPAs) of lenses to increase the field of view (FoV) and the imaging speed. A full-wave electromagnetic analysis of such arrays is numerically cumbersome and time-consuming. This article presents a spectral technique based on Fourier optics combined with geometrical optics for analyzing, in reception, lens-based FPAs with wide FoVs. The technique provides a numerically efficient methodology to derive the plane wave spectrum (PWS) of a secondary quasi-optical component. This PWS is used to calculate the power received by an antenna or absorber placed at the focal region of a lens. The method is applied to maximize the scanning performance of imagers with monolithically integrated lens feeds without employing an optimization algorithm. The derived PWS can be directly used to define the lens and feed properties. The synthesized FPA achieved scan losses much lower than the ones predicted by standard formulas for horn-based FPAs. In particular, an FPA with scan loss below 1 dB while scanning up to ±17.5° (±44 beam-widths) is presented with directivity of 52 dBi complying with the needs for future sub millimeter imagers. The technique is validated via a physical optics code with excellent agreement.Accepted Author ManuscriptTera-Hertz Sensin

Reception Power Pattern of Distributed Absorbers in Focal Plane Arrays: A Fourier Optics Analysis

Passive imaging cameras at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths are currently entering a new era with the development of large format arrays of direct detectors. Several of these arrays are being developed with bare absorbing meshes without any antenna coupling (lens or horn) structures. The design of such arrays is typically done resorting to geometrical considerations or basic broadside plane wave incidence analysis. This paper presents a spectral technique for the analysis of such focal plane arrays in reception using Fourier Optics, which is valid also for moderately skewed incident angles. The analysis constitutes a step improvement with respect to previously used methods by providing an accurate and efficient way to estimate the point-source angular response and the throughput from a distributed incoherent source of an absorbing mesh in the focal plane of a quasi-optical component (e.g. a parabolic reflector or lens). The proposed technique is validated with full-wave simulations. After presenting the analysis, the paper compares the performance of arrays of bare absorber in the focal plane of a quasi-optical component to those of corresponding antenna based arrays. It is found that absorbers lead to a comparable trade-off, in terms of spill-over and focusing efficiency, only for very tight samplings. For larger samplings, the focusing efficiency of absorbers is significantly lower than the one for antennas.Accepted Author ManuscriptTera-Hertz Sensin

A Fourier Optics Tool to Derive the Plane Wave Spectrum of Quasi-Optical Systems [EM Programmer's Notebook]

We present a freely accessible graphical user interface (GUI) for analyzing antenna-fed quasi-optical (QO) systems in reception (Rx). This analysis is presented here for four widely used canonical QO components: parabolic reflectors and elliptical, extended hemispherical, and hyperbolic lenses. The employed methods are geometrical optics (GO) and Fourier optics (FO). Specifically, QO components are illuminated by incident plane waves. By using a GO-based propagation code, the scattered fields are evaluated at an equivalent sphere centered on the primary focus of the component. The FO methodology is then used to represent the scattered fields over the focal plane as plane wave spectrum. A field correlation between this spectrum and the antenna feed radiating without the QO component is implemented to evaluate the induced open-circuit voltage on the feed in Rx. By performing a field matching between these two spectral fields, feed designers can optimize the broadside and/or steering aperture efficiencies of QO systems in a fast manner. The tool is packaged into a MATLAB GUI, which reports the efficiency terms, directivity, and gain patterns of antenna-coupled QO systems. The described tool is validated via full-wave simulations with excellent agreement.Tera-Hertz Sensin