Hashemi, Mohammed Reza M. and Fikes, Austin C. and Gal-Katziri, Matan and Abiri, Behrooz and Bohn, Florian and Safaripour, Amirreza and Kelzenberg, Michael D. and Warmann, Emily L. and Espinet, Pilar and Vaidya, Nina and Gdoutos, Eleftherios E. and Leclerc, Christophe and Royer, Fabien and Pellegrino, Sergio and Atwater, Harry A. and Hajimiri, Ali (2019) A flexible phased array system with low areal mass density. Nature Electronics, 2 (5). pp. 195-205. ISSN 2520-1131. doi:10.1038/s41928-019-0247-9. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20190416-120325923
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Abstract
Phased arrays are multiple antenna systems capable of forming and steering beams electronically using constructive and destructive interference between sources. They are employed extensively in radar and communication systems but are typically rigid, bulky and heavy, which limits their use in compact or portable devices and systems. Here, we report a scalable phased array system that is both lightweight and flexible. The array architecture consists of a self-monitoring complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor-based integrated circuit, which is responsible for generating multiple independent phase- and amplitude-controlled signal channels, combined with flexible and collapsible radiating structures. The modular platform, which can be collapsed, rolled and folded, is capable of operating standalone or as a subarray in a larger-scale flexible phased array system. To illustrate the capabilities of the approach, we created a 4 × 4 flexible phased array tile operating at 9.4–10.4 GHz, with a low areal mass density of 0.1 g cm^(−2). We also created a flexible phased array prototype that is powered by photovoltaic cells and intended for use in a wireless space-based solar power transfer array.
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Additional Information: | © 2019 Springer Nature Publishing AG. Received 17 November 2018; Accepted 17 April 2019; Published 17 May 2019. Data availability: The data that support the plots within this paper and other findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Code availability: High-level description of the code created to drive the hardware is available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. The authors acknowledge Caltech Space Solar Power Project and Northrop Grumman Corporation for partial support of the work. Author Contributions: A.H. conceived the idea of the flexible RF phased array. M.R.M.H., A.C.F., M.G.-K. and A.H. designed the flexible array and its electromagnetic components. M.R.M.H., A.C.F., M.G.-K., F.B., B.A. and A.S. performed the reported measurements of the system. B.A., F.B., M.G.-K., A.S. and A.H. designed and implemented the integrated circuit. M.D.K., E.L.W., P.E., N.V., E.E.G., C.L., F.R., S.P. and H.A.A. contributed to the design and implementation of the PV concentrators and cells. M.R.M.H., A.C.F., A.H. and M.G.-K. prepared the manuscript. Competing interests: A.H., B.A. and F.B. are co-founders and shareholders of Auspion Inc., which is involved in wireless power transfer applications. A.S. is currently employed at Auspion Inc. Several patent applications that cover certain aspects of the design of the integrated circuit and flexible substrate have been filed. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Group: | GALCIT, Space Solar Power Project | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Subject Keywords: | Aerospace engineering; Devices for energy harvesting; Electrical and electronic engineering | ||||||||||||||||||||
Issue or Number: | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
DOI: | 10.1038/s41928-019-0247-9 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Record Number: | CaltechAUTHORS:20190416-120325923 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Persistent URL: | https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20190416-120325923 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Usage Policy: | No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided. | ||||||||||||||||||||
ID Code: | 94732 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Collection: | CaltechAUTHORS | ||||||||||||||||||||
Deposited By: | George Porter | ||||||||||||||||||||
Deposited On: | 17 May 2019 17:13 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Last Modified: | 16 Nov 2021 17:07 |
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