Some Contributions for Antenna 3D Far Field Characterization at Terahertz

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics and Applied Physics
• Antenna Theory and Design
• Terahertz Technology

Background:

• Accurate three-dimensional (3D) antenna far field pattern characterization at terahertz frequencies is crucial but challenging due to measurement difficulties.
• The small wavelengths in the sub-millimeter wave range amplify the impact of mechanical and electrical errors on phase measurements.
• Existing methods struggle with the precision required for reliable 3D antenna pattern analysis at these frequencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a methodology for accurate 3D antenna far field pattern measurements at terahertz frequencies.
• To propose models and procedures for estimating and mitigating measurement errors, particularly phase inaccuracies.
• To experimentally demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach on real-world antenna systems.

Main Methods:

• Development of error estimation models for mechanical and electrical inaccuracies in antenna measurements.
• Implementation of procedures to mitigate the impact of these errors on far field pattern characterization.
• Experimental validation using a circularly polarized horn antenna at 300 GHz and a multibeam pillbox antenna at 270 GHz.

Main Results:

• Successful 3D far field pattern measurements were achieved for both tested antennas.
• The proposed error estimation and mitigation procedures significantly improved measurement accuracy.
• Experimental results showed strong agreement between corrected 3D measurements and reference 2D patterns.

Conclusions:

• The proposed methodology effectively addresses the challenges of 3D antenna pattern measurement at terahertz frequencies.
• The error estimation procedures are experimentally validated and enhance the reliability of antenna characterization.
• This approach is applicable to both direct far field measurement facilities and compact antenna test ranges.