[HCARC] Interesting antenna development

[Jim & Lorain Ellison]

See http://science.dodlive.mil/2017/10/17/small-antennas-could-be-a-big-deal-for-the-air-force/?source=GovDelivery for the full article.



Researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, in partnership with Northeastern University, recently developed an ultra-compact antenna that uses a whole different approach in transmitting and receiving signals. This breakthrough could be a big step in the miniaturization of many military and commercial communication systems.

Typical antennas rely on size to function effectively in the electromagnetic spectrum. If the antenna is not long enough to resonate at the proper frequency, the antenna will not be able to transmit or receive the desired electromagnetic waves efficiently. Over the years, impressive strides have been made in antenna miniaturization, with cellphones being a prime example. However, the quality of antennas degrades as they become smaller, hence the need for cellular carriers to put in place large numbers of cellular antennas towers to ensure adequate phone reception for consumers.

  “We identified ultra-compact antennas as the critical last step in true device miniaturization,” said Dr. Brandon Howe, AFRL materials scientist. “Researchers had successfully shrunk most electronic components, but the true miniaturization of antennas was still a missing piece.”

The size of an efficient miniature antenna is typically about ten percent of the wavelength, whereas the ultra-compact AFRL antennas are as small as fractions of a percent of the wavelength. As a result, microwave antennas that were previously approximately a half inch can now be reduced to an object smaller than a flea (less than one millimeter). Although not an immediate replacement for small antennas, this miniaturization could be an important step toward incorporating antennas into a number of applications for which they were previously impractical.



Jim Ellison

N5NRA