Wideband Feeding of Tightly Coupled Arrays

Authors

Matthew W. Nichols, Florida International UniversityFollow

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Major/Program

Electrical and Computer Engineering

First Advisor's Name

John L. Volakis

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Chair

Second Advisor's Name

Elias A. Alwan

Second Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Third Advisor's Name

Pulugurtha Markondeya Raj

Third Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Fourth Advisor's Name

Shubhendu Bhardwaj

Fourth Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Fifth Advisor's Name

Satheesh Bojja Venkatakrishnan

Fifth Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Keywords

Tightly Coupled Dipole Array (TCDA), Ultra-wideband (UWB) array, phased array, frequency selective surface (FSS) network, wide-angle impedance matching (WAIM), bandwidth enhancement, Low-profile array, wide-angle scanning, feeding, Millimeter-wave communication, surrogate hinge, thick origami, Ball-grid-array (BGA), feed network, balun

Date of Defense

12-7-2022

Abstract

As is well-known, the wireless spectrum is highly fragmented and congested, imply- ing challenges in its utilization. This creates inefficient and costly redundancy, as independent Radio Frequency (RF) systems are required for each frequency band. Alternatively, wideband antennas and arrays can enable multi-functionality and re-place multiple narrowband apertures for orders of magnitude reduction in power, cost, and space. Tightly Coupled Dipole Arrays (TDCAs) are a family of wideband low-profile antenna arrays that can be adapted to replace multiple antennas and, therefore, reduce space withoutcompromising functionality and scanning capability.

To this end, a first contribution of this dissertation is the presentation of a state-of-the-art TCDA that can also be adapted for space-born remote sensing, medical imaging, and high-resolution radar applications. In comparison to previous TCDAs, the presented design realizes a lower-profile and achieve slower frequency operation, down to 140 MHz, with a contiguous 42:1 bandwidth while scanning up to ±60^◦ from broadside in the E-, H-, and D-planes.

A second contribution of the dissertation is the introduction of a vertically integrated wideband array and feed board for millimeter-wave (mm-Wave) operation. The array is mated to the feed board using ball-grid-array (BGA) type connections in an Antenna-in-Package (AiP) stack-up. Importantly, the proposed designs are compatible with standard low-cost printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing processes.

A third contribution of the dissertation is the realization of a foldable TDCA with increased portability for airborne/satellite systems. Foldability is achieved through specialized joints that are laser cut within otherwise homogenous PCBs, providing the necessary motion and force-deflection characteristics for repeatable bending. All presented designs are unique and have been fabricated and experimentally validated.

Identifier

FIDC010998

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5104-6119

Recommended Citation

Nichols, Matthew W., "Wideband Feeding of Tightly Coupled Arrays" (2022). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 5325.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/5325