Dr. Sarah Seguin at ECE Fall 2023 Colloquium

Antenna Design Considerations for Efficient Spectrum Usage

The electromagnetic spectrum is becoming increasingly congested with the advent of new wireless, IoT, 5G, 6G, and beyond. The focused-use static frequency method of allocation is swiftly becoming antiquated. This is making way for a new paradigm of dynamic frequency allocation and a “sharing” regime. The amount of usable spectrum for both consumer and military applications is diminishing, and the increasing congestion presents unique problems related to both quantifying and sharing spectrum. There is no single solution for acute spectral crowding. Instead, it needs to be addressed via several multifaceted solutions. One approach for addressing spectral crowding is waveform adaptation and optimization that requires accurate knowledge of hardware induced distortions. Combined antenna characterization techniques are presented to better understand antenna effects that could increase the ability of systems to directionally share spectrum and to compensate for antenna hardware distortion.