Measurement and Evaluation of GaN-based Electronics for Submillimeter/Terahertz Communications
Abstract
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016, under authority of 10 U.S.C. ¤ 2362 and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OASD(R&E)), allocated $28 million to assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) with equipment and instrumentation enhancements to improve their research and education capabilities in scientific disciplines important to the defense mission. The program aims enhance the capacity of HBCU/MI to participate broadly in defense research programs and activities and to increase the number of graduates, including underrepresented minorities, in fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The instrumentation sought in this proposal is a millimeter wave probing solution that incorporates 90GHz Ð 140GHz port extenders to create a system that addresses the challenges in the measurement, design and test of millimeter electronics whose performance is critical to enable highly secured systems with non-invasive detection of explosives and concealed weapons, and ultra-wide band, high data rate THz communications. The THz frequency spectrum is still underused, but is attractive for enhanced data security and jam resistance for short range military communication links. The acquisition of this instrumentation will be integrated as an on-wafer probing measurement system to enhance and extend the current RF measurement and characterization capability at Morgan State University (MSU) to include the characterization and test of sub-THz electronic devices, circuits and subsystems. In addition, the instrumentation will be used to support a National Science Foundation Enhancing Access to the Radio Spectrum (NSF-EARS Award #1547277) grant focused on the development of GaN-based power amplifiers for broadband mobile wireless communications beyond 100GHz. Finally, the proposed equipment will facilitate the development of laboratory exercises along with course curriculum in high frequency and sub-THz electronics, support the training of students to become proficient in analyzing, testing and troubleshooting high frequency wide-band gap semiconductor components, circuits and systems; and enhance current undergraduate and graduate courses that concentrate on Communications and RF/Microwave and Millimeter Wave Engineering at MSU. This instrument acquisition will be led by a Morgan State University (MSU) research center, COMSARE (Center of Microwave, Satellite, and RF Engineering), that engages in active research in the development of intelligent reconfigurable analog electronics for software defined radio applications, algorithms for adaptable amplifiers, and electronic protection for connected devices and embedded systems that is attractive for DoD applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 12, 2017
- Source ID
- W911NF1610499
Entities
People
- Michel Reece
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Morgan State University
- Office of the Secretary of Defense