Karl Warnick (Brigham Young University)

Karl Warnick Colloquium: High Efficiency Phased Array Receivers

Marsfield

Abstract

Aperture phased arrays and phased array feeds (PAFs) are a promising technology for sensing and communications applications requiring electronic beamsteering and large signal collecting area. The phased arrays that have been in use for radar and communications for many decades typically have relatively low antenna efficiencies, as the signal environment for terrestrial applications has a high ambient temperature and intensive optimization of receiver sensitivity yields only modest performance gains. For radio astronomy, remote sensing, and satellite communications, the situation is different. High radiation efficiency, low noise electronics, compensation for mutual coupling effects, and careful design optimization are needed to meet stringent performance requirements, and these applications have stimulated something of a renaissance in phased array antenna research. This presentation will survey results on antenna modeling, microwave network theory, antenna design, and experimental characterization for high sensitivity array receiver applications.