Super-gain miniature antennas with circular polarization and electronic beam steering

Antenna radiation control in terms of shape and polarization is a key element for future communication systems. Directive compact antennas offer new opportunities for wireless applications in terms of spatial selectivity and filtering. This leads to a reduction in electromagnetic pollution by mitigating interferences with other communication systems and reducing battery consumption in compact smart devices (IoT), while enabling also new use modes. However, the conventional techniques for enhancing the directivity often lead to a significant increase of the antenna size. Consequently, the integration of directional antennas in small wireless devices is limited. This difficulty is particularly critical for the frequency bands below 3 GHz if object dimensions are limited to a few centimeters. Super directive/gain compact antennas with beam-steering capabilities and operating on a wideband or on multi-bands are an innovative and attractive solution for the development of new applications in the field of the connected objects. In fact, the possibility to control electronically the antenna radiation properties is an important characteristic for the development of the future generation and smart communication systems. CEA Leti has a very strong expertise in the domain of superdirective antennas demonstrating the potentials of the use of ultra-compact parasitic antenna arrays. This PhD project will take place at CEA Leti Grenoble in the antennas and propagation laboratory (LAPCI). The main objectives of this work are: i) contribution to development of numerical tools for the design and optimization of superdirective compact arrays with beam-steering capabilities; ii) the study of new elementary sources for compact antenna arrays; iii) the realization and experimental characterization of a supergain compact array with circular polarization and beam-steering capabilities. This work will combine theoretical studies and model developments, antenna design using 3D electromagnetic software, prototyping and experimentations.