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This paper presents for the first time a quad-core oscillator based on a very compact interstacked transformer that tightly couples the four cores without oscillation mode ambiguity thanks to its strong magnetic coupling factor. As a proof of concept, a 19.125 GHz oscillator for a narrowband 77 GHz radar system was designed in 28 nm fully depleted silicon-on-insulator CMOS technology with a general purpose back-end-of-line. The soundness of the proposed quad-core oscillator topology is demonstrated by comparison with state-of-the-art quad-core solutions, highlighting a significant advantage in terms of area occupation and power consumption. The proposed topology can be profitably exploited in several RF/mm-wave applications, such as radar and wireless communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5G technology aims to satisfy several service requirements, leading to high data-rate connections and lower latency times than current ones. 5G systems use different frequency bands of the radio wave spectrum, taking advantage of higher frequencies than previous mobile radio generations. To guarantee capillary radio coverage, it will be necessary to install a huge number of repeaters since electromagnetic waves at higher frequencies, and especially microwaves at higher bands, exhibit lower capacity to propagate in free space. Since the introduction of this new technology, there has been growing concern about possible harmful effects on human health. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible short-term effects induced by 5G-millimeter waves on the embryonic development of zebrafish (Danio rerio). Fertilized eggs were exposed to 27 GHz using a non-commercial high-gain pyramidal horn antenna, and several endpoints were monitored every 24 h. As a result, exposure to electromagnetic fields at 27 GHz caused no significant impacts on mortality or on morphology since the exposed larvae showed normal detachment of the tail, the presence of a heartbeat, and well-organized somites. Exposure to 27 GHz caused an increase in the heart rate in exposed embryos compared to that in the control group at 48 h. However, this increase was not observed at 72 and 96 h. Finally, very weak positivity regarding exposed larvae was highlighted by immunohistochemical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, an increasing use of wireless internet technologies has been demonstrated. The devices which use these technologies emit in new spectral regions an electromagnetic radiation (EMF) which could interact with the male reproductive system. The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro the effect of electromagnetic fields at 27 GHz on sperm quality in Mytilus galloprovincialis. Sperm samples were collected from sexually mature males of M. galloprovincialis and placed in seawater. Once we evaluated the number and quality of spermatozoa, sperm cells were exposed to electromagnetic fields radiated by a pyramidal horn antenna. The effect of exposure was evaluated after 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 min by a light microscope and using an Eosin test. Ten replications were performed for each time series, and statistical analysis was carried out by t-test. Sperm motility decreased after 10 min of exposure, and after 30 min most of the spermatozoa were immobile and not vital. This study provides useful data on the potential ecological impact of the high-band 5G on animal fertility, the effect of which is currently under investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present a ray optics-based iterative procedure for the design and optimization of a shaped reflector able to achieve a high roll-off sectoral pattern in the azimuthal plane and a very narrow beam in the elevation plane, as required in a surveillance application at 76–77 GHz. Three prototypes of such kind of reflector with different azimuthal half-power beamwidths were fabricated and measured, showing a fair agreement with numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the design and fabrication of two dual circularly polarized (CP) patch antennas that can be profitably used as feeders for reflector systems normally adopted for satellite applications. In the first part of the manuscript, we propose the optimization of a dual-CP patch antenna, loaded by a fence of passive monopoles around it to increase antenna gain for high elevation angles. To achieve dual-CP operation mode, the circular patch has been sequentially-fed by three pins, whose mutual phase-shift is equal to 120 ° . The antenna feeding network was placed on the antenna back and designed using microstrip technology. Two different input ports provide both right-hand (RH) and left-hand (LH) circular polarizations. A prototype of such an antenna was fabricated and measured at f = 8.25 GHz. Furthermore, to test the versatility of the proposed single radiating patch, in the second part of the manuscript, we present the results of geometrically scaling at f = 2.2 GHz (higher UHF band) and this was used as a building block for the design of a dual-CP sequentially-fed 2-by-2 array antenna. The results for both the proposed antennas are satisfactory in terms of impedance bandwidth, broad radiation pattern, gain and cross-polarization rejection, thus they can be profitably used as feeders for reflectors at relatively low frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we prove experimentally that nondiffractive Bessel beams can be generated by using inward cylindrical traveling wave aperture distributions. An azimuthally invariant inward traveling wave distribution is defined over the aperture of a radial line slot array (RLSA) to launch a Bessel beam whose normal electric-field component assumes a truncated, zeroth-order Bessel function. An optimization procedure based on a holographic approach is used for tuning the position and size of the slots of the RLSA. The antenna is centrally fed by a coaxial probe transition. The final structure operates at 12.5 GHz. Full-wave simulations and measurements of the vertical component of the electric field show that a non-diffractive radiation is obtained within a range larger than 12 wavelengths in front of the antenna. The generated Bessel beam presents a stable half-power beamwidth of about 20 mm within this range. The proposed system may open new opportunities for planar, low-profile Bessel beam generators at millimeter waves, Terahertz, and optics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We describe the design of a radial line slot array antenna with a shaped and focused near field. The antenna is designed in such a way to control the side lobe level and beamwidth of the normal component of the electric field with respect to the radiating aperture. The design procedure consists of two steps. In the first step, the requirements on the near-field pattern are provided over a focusing plane at a given distance from the radiating aperture. A set theoretic approach is then used to derive the aperture field distribution fitting the requirements over the near field. In the second step, the aperture field distribution is synthesized by accurately placing and sizing the slots of the antenna. The spillover efficiency is maximized during the design process. The antenna is centrally fed by a simple coaxial probe. The antenna design is validated by a prototype and measurements at 12.5 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) is gaining great attention in the physics and electromagnetic community owing to an intriguing debate concerning its suitability for widening channel capacity in next-generation wireless communications. While such a debate is still a matter of controversy, we exploit OAM generation for microwave imaging within the classical first order linearized models, i.e., Born and Rytov approximation. Physical insights into different fields carrying ℓ-order OAM are conveniently exploited to propose possible alternative imaging approaches and paradigms in microwave imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]