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  • Keynote by Prof. Trevor S. Bird


    Prof. Trevor S. Bird
    University of Technology Sydney

    Title: Recent Advances in Closely Connected Antenna Arrays

    Abstract:
    Antenna arrays are widely used for communications, defence, and radioastronomy. In recent years, some new arrays have been fabricated where the array elements are closely connected or even fully connected. Underpinning this work has been a greater understanding of mutual coupling effects for elements in close proximity. Through improved techniques and computational methods, mutual coupling has been harnessed to improve array performance.

    Mutual coupling in arrays has been explicitly used in some applications in the past and wider adoption is long overdue. In recent implementations the array elements are small to medium sized with spacings much less than half-wavelength, or even fully connected. This approach is used in the Australian SKA prototype (ASKAP), the low-frequency LOFAR radiotelescope, and in tightly coupled arrays for future wireless systems. The array elements can be as simple as short dipoles or log-periodic antennas as in LOFAR. As well as improved radiation performance, with the addition of some passive elements, the array can be designed to achieve wideband matching.

    The talk describes the advantages of closely connected arrays for forming and shaping current sheets for beam steering, input matching, and beam synthesis. An overview of mutual coupling and its effects in arrays will also be provided initially as background [1]. A circuit model for a tightly coupled array with be introduced to demonstrate the impact of loading the array for bandwidth extension. Recent applications of arrays as feeds for radioastronomy, and wideband arrays for systems such as 6G are used in the presentation to illustrate these techniques.

    [1] T.S. Bird (ed.), ‘Mutual coupling between antennas’, John Wiley & Sons Inc., Chichester UK, 2021.

    Biography:
    Prof. Trevor S. Bird is Principal of Antengenuity and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). He gained a PhD in engineering from the University of Melbourne in 1977. Afterwards he worked in the UK and at James Cook University of North Queensland from 1978 to 1983. He joined CSIRO in 1984 and held several positions in CSIRO and was Chief Scientist from 2004 to 2011 and a CSIRO Fellow. As well as ATSE, he is a Life Fellow of IEEE, IET Fellow, Fellow of RS of NSW, an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Australia

    Prof. Bird has been awarded three CSIRO Medals, the IEEE Third Millennium Medal, and a Centenary Medal for service to Australian society in telecommunications. He has received five best paper awards, was named 2003 Professional Engineer of the Year by the Sydney Division of Engineers Australia, in 2012 he was awarded the M.A. Sargeant Medal from Engineers Australia for achievement in the field of electrical engineering, and he received the James R. James Lifetime Achievement Award of the IET in 2016 for outstanding contributions to the field of Antennas and Propagation.

    He is the author or co-author of over 400 papers and is the author of two recent books entitled ‘Fundamentals of Aperture Antennas and Arrays’ published in 2016, and ‘Mutual Coupling Between Antennas’ in 2021.


     
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