Venue: CMT01 (MACS) in person
Time: 12:00pm – 13:00pm on Tuesday 16th Jan. 2024

Talk Title:
Radiating systems in the near and far field for next generation wireless links: key innovations and novel paradigms

Abstract:
In the near future, high-speed wireless networks will benefit from the massive amount of available bandwidth in the sub- and millimeter frequency range of XG systems and the New Space. Future networks will handle communication between users and objects located in the far-field and near-field region of radiating devices. Antenna innovations are key to exploiting these broad bandwidths and to providing smart data links for mobile users. In collaboration with major industrial and academic partners, I recently proposed quasi-optical planar systems as efficient beam formers for multi-beam, wide-scanning antennas. Such an approach limits the losses and cost of beam forming networks for arrays at higher frequencies, while preserving the agility of the radiating unit. An implementation of the proposed system by silicon micromachining will be presented with state-of-the-art efficiency at 300 GHz. For satellite links, I will show that quasi-optical planar systems can be used to drive wideband terminal antennas based on long slot connected arrays for wide field of views. The benefits of connected arrays in bandwidth and scanning will be presented and their physical implementation discussed. For near-field links, I will summarize my current studies on non-diffractive beams. In particular, I will show how non-diffractive beams can be generated with planar radiating structures through the excitation of cylindrical leaky waves. The capability of non-diffractive beams to defeat the path loss and overcome obstructions will be introduced and demonstrated experimentally at millimeter frequencies. These results pave the way to a novel ‎paradigm for next generation near-field wireless links.

Bio:
Mauro Ettorre received a Laurea degree “summa cum laude” in Electrical Engineering, and a Ph.D. degree in Electromagnetics from the University of Siena, Italy, in 2004 and 2008, respectively. Part of his Ph.D. work was developed at TNO, the Netherlands. Since 2023, he is a professor in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA. Previously, he was a Research Scientist at CNRS, IETR laboratory, France. From 2014 until 2020, he assumed responsibilities for the multi-beam antenna activity for satellite applications in the joint laboratory between IETR and Thales Alenia Space, France. From 2016 until 2021, he led the BEAMS (BEam Antennas up to Mm and Sub-mm waves) team at IETR and co-chaired from 2021 until 2023 the department ADH (Antennas and Microwave Devices Department) composed of 28 faculty.
Dr. Ettorre’s research interests include the analysis and design of quasi-optical systems, periodic structures, wideband arrays, millimeter-wave antennas, non-diffractive radiation and localized waves. He has authored over 80 journal papers, 200 conference communications and holds 14 patents (2 licensed). Dr. Ettorre is a Fellow of IEEE. From 2017 till 2023, he served as Associate Editor for the IEEE Transaction on Antennas and Propagation for which he is now a Track Editor. The research activities of Dr. Ettorre have been recognized with several prizes, including the Innovation Award at the 2018 ESA Antenna Workshop in the Netherlands, the Best Paper ‎Award in Electromagnetics and Antenna Theory at EuCAP 2018, UK, the Best Antennas Paper Award at EuCAP 2021, Germany and Best Paper Award at the iWAT 2023, Denmark.‎