BACKGROUND: The design of Radio Frequency (RF) - Microwave stages for the rising new era of Software Defined (SDR) and Cognitive radios (CR) constitute a research challenge. The primary requirements for these RF- front-ends are the digitally controllable multi-functionality and miniaturization. This is a trend toward integration on a single chip (SOC) or at least integration on the device package (SIP), thus asking for miniaturized and conformable RF-microwaves architectures. Their extremely high complexity along with the involved electrically large solution domains ask for analysis and design capabilities that are far beyond the limits of current state-of-the-art electromagnetic tools.
AIM: The proposed research aims at the establishment of an electromagnetic analysis and design tool which based on an "Eigenfunction Expansion" approach advances beyond the current state-of-art. It constitutes a domain-decomposition approach but in general "numerical eigenfunctions" are employed for the field expansion within each sub-domain, serving as "entire domain basis functions". Analytical eigenfunctions are exploited whenever possible, while eigenanalysis techniques are developed to handle closed and open-radiating, 2- or 3-dimensional structures, arbitrary curved and possibly loaded with inhomogeneous and/or anisotropic media, including finite periodic geometries. The eigenanalysis offers the physical insight to devise novel multifunctioning architectures.
EXPECTED RESULTS & POTENTIAL IMPACT: Being a challenging research requires a huge effort to be carried out by three post-doctoral researchers, four doctoral or Master students with the support of a strong group of experienced researchers. At least three doctoral and one master theses along with a minimum of nine Journal and Conference papers are expected from the proposed research. The elaborated analysis and design tools constitute European and possibly International pioneer work in the SDR and CR development.