Big Antennas on a Small Budget
Large-area electronics technology has been used to create low-cost, practical long-range antennas for 5G communications and beyond.
In an increasingly connected world, we have come to expect our devices to always be connected to a network to enable the sharing of information. When it comes to high-frequency signals, like those required for communication over 5G wireless networks, developing low-cost, reliable antennas for long-range communications is a challenge. Because of the frequencies involved, these antennas cannot be more than a few centimeters wide — and to create a large array of these tiny antennas may require hundreds of microchips.
Creating an antenna array in this manner is highly impractical for most uses, but there may be a better solution on the way. A team of engineers from Princeton University wondered if thin-film technology might be able to overcome these challenges, and allow for the development of practical, high-frequency phased array antennas.
The team used zinc-oxide thin-film transistors, the same type of technology used in computer monitors and liquid-crystal display televisions, to create a one foot long row of three antennas in a phased array. With the help of thin-film manufacturing techniques, the components are inexpensive and can be produced at scale, making large antenna arrays practical for many more use cases.
Through beamforming, these antennas are capable of point-to-point communication, and were tested at frequencies up to one gigahertz. The researchers speculate that their method could bring new flexibility to phased array antennas, and allow them to operate at a different range of radio frequencies than existing systems.
In the future, the team envisions the antennas being applied to airplane wings to enable low-power, long-range communications. They also discuss applications for wearable healthcare devices, and Internet of Things enabled wallpaper. With the current expansion of 5G networks, and the eventual adoption of 6G technologies, the development of practical antennas for a wide range of devices will become increasingly important — this is one research project to keep your eyes on.
