A frequency reconfigurable antenna with dual-band operation is presented. The antenna has a circular radiating patch loaded with an annular slot, and the slotted patch is shorted to the ground plane with four conducting posts. The antenna has three feed ports. Two of the ports are used to excite the slot mode resonant at a lower frequency, and broadside radiation with dual orthogonal linear polarizations can be obtained. The other port is used to excite the monopolar-patch mode resonant at a higher frequency, and conical radiation with vertical polarization can be yielded. To reconfigure the operation frequencies, four varactors are symmetrically placed across the annular slot. The simulated results indicate that the resonant frequency of the slot mode can be tuned from 1.62 to 1.17 GHz when the capacitance of the varactors is varied from 0.6 to 1.8 pF; besides, for each capacitance value, the impedance bandwidth of the antenna operating in the monopolar-patch mode can cover the frequencies from 2.4 to 2.5 GHz. Experiments are also carried out to validate the simulated data.

In this paper, the thinning space is constrained to only outer sub-planar array elements instead of fully filled planar array. Since the amplitude weights of the outer elements have small amplitude excitations, they can be optimized to find the least useful elements and remove them without affecting the desired radiation characteristics. The binary genetic algorithm is used to perform such thinning optimization. Simulation results show that roughly the same performance can be achieved when the number of removed elements in the outer sub-array relative to the total number of the planar array elements does not exceed 19%. In addition, to keep the size of the thinned array equal to that of the original filled array, the perimeter elements were excluded from the thinning process. Also, some constraints on the thinned array pattern are imposed to control the null directions toward interfering signals.

A new reflectionless filter with discharging circuit is presented. Under the premise of keeping the original filter unchanged, a discharging circuit is added. The relationship between the passband and stopband of the discharging circuit and the original filter is similar to the duality of the circuit. Without affecting the performance of the original filter, the reflected energy of the original filter is discharged to the ground through discharging circuit, so as to achieve no reflection of the filter, avoiding the interference to the input. Analytical design equations are provided so that the reflectionless filter can be designed. According to this design method, the reflectionless dual-band bandpass filter is designed and fabricated. Simulation and measurement results are in agreement. It has good reflectionless performance. The feasibility of the design method is verified.

In this article, a hybrid inversion algorithm based on an innovative stochastic algorithm, namely, the bat algorithm (BA) is proposed. Electromagnetic inverse scattering problems are ill-posed and are often transformed into optimization problems by defining a suitable cost function. As typical methods to solve optimization problems, stochastic optimization algorithms are more flexible and have better global searching ability than deterministic algorithms. However, they share a common disadvantage: heavy computing load. This directly restricts the application of the algorithms in high-dimensional problems and real-time imaging environments. To solve this issue, diffraction tomography (DT) is introduced to provide a reference for the initialization of the BA. Furthermore, the hybrid method makes full use of the complementary advantages of linear reconstruction algorithms and stochastic optimization algorithms to improve accuracy and efficiency at the same time. Moreover, in order to avoid the algorithm falling into local extrema, a linear attenuation strategy of the pulse emission rate is proposed to enable more bats to perform global search in the early stage of the algorithm. In the numerical experiments for different types of dielectric objects, the reconstruction results of this hybrid BA-based algorithm are compared with those of the DT and the particle swarm optimization (PSO).

A numeric-analytical solution of a problem concerning an impedance vibrator with local asymmetric excitation is derived in the thin-wire approximation. Solution correctness is confirmed by satisfactory agreement of numerical and experimental results from well-known literary sources. Based on the optimization modeling, the design of the impedance antenna characterized by three resonant frequencies intended for mobile communications operating in GSM 900, GSM 1800, and WiMAX ranges is developed. The analysis of basic electrodynamic characteristics of the vibrator antenna has proved the possibility of practical applications of this antenna for phones, portable radio stations, electronic gadgets, and base stations.

Radar data collected on two sides of a horizontally dissipative layered medium are required to invert for the medium parameters. The two-sided reflection and transmission responses are reduced to two single-sided reflection responses. One is the measured dissipative medium response, and the other is the reflection response of the corresponding effectual medium, which has negative dissipation. Marchenko-type equations are solved using these two reflection responses. The obtained focusing functions in the dissipative and effectual media are used to invert for the permittivity and the permeability under the assumption of weak dissipation in reflection. Once these parameters are known, the travel times are used to estimate the layer thicknesses. Finally, the focusing functions are used to estimate the conductivity in each layer. The method does not require any model information and runs as a fully automated process. A numerical example shows that the method works well for a horizontally dissipative layered medium. Statistical analysis for several noise models shows that the method is robust at least up to 40 dB additive and multiplicative white noise.

Simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain using multi-core fiber (MCF) with an in-line cascaded symmetrical ellipsoidal fiber balls structure of Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) is presented. The sensor is fabricated by using an ordinary fusion apparatus. The thermo-coupling effect is realized through Germanium (Ge)-doped central and hexagonal distributed outer cores of MCF. A high-quality transmission spectrum is obtained with a fringe visibility of 12-15 dB and higher extinction ratio. The sensor exhibits superior mechanical strength compared with the fragile structures, such as tapered, etched, misaligned and offset fibers. The temperature sensitivity of 137.6 pm/°C and 68.1 pm/°C in the range of 20-90°C, and the strain sensitivity of -0.42 pm/με and -1.19 pm/με in the range of 0-801 με are obtained, when probe ``L'' is 40 mm and 20 mm, respectively. Simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain can be achieved by solving the coefficient matrix and tracing the wavelength shifts in the interference spectrum. Besides, the sensor has many advantages, such as high sensitivity, easy fabrication, simple structure, being stable and inexpensive, which may find potential applications in the field of optical sensing.

Analog predistortion is an efficient method for improving the linearity of power amplifiers. This paper presents a simple and tunable analog predistortion linearizer with low insertion loss, capable of reducing the non-linearity effects of microwave power amplifiers. The linearizer employs Schottky diodes as a distortion generator and does not require any additional matching circuit. By controlling the DC bias of the diodes, various combinations of characteristics can be obtained; therefore, this structure can be used to match different device behaviors. Experimental validation using a ε_r = 3.38, 20-mil thick Rogers substrate at the center frequency of 2 GHz shows that the fabricated linearizer can provide up to 7.5 dB gain expansion. The fractional bandwidth and insertion loss of the linearizer are 10% and 1.7 dB, respectively. The simulated and measured results are in good agreement with each other. To illustrate an approach for compensating the limited phase characteristics of the presented structure, the design and simulation of a dual-branch linearizer utilizing the reflective Schottky diode predistortion linearizer as a nonlinear unit are also presented.

This paper describes a U-net based Deep Learning (DL) approach in combination with Subspace-Based Variational Born Iterative Method (SVBIM) to provide a solution for quantitative reconstruction of scatterer from the measured scattered field. The proposed technique can be used as an alternative to conventional time consuming and computationally complex iterative methods. This technique comprises of a numerical solver (SVBIM) for generating the initial contrast function and a DL network to reconstruct the scatterer profile from the initial contrast function. Further, the proposed technique is validated against theoretical and experimental results available from the literature. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) value is used as the metric to measure the accuracy of the reconstructed image. The RMSE values of the proposed method show a significant reduction in the reconstruction error when compared with the recent Back Propagation-Direct Sampling Method (BP-DSM). The proposed method produces an RMSE value of 0.0813 against 0.1070 in the case of simulation (Austria Profile). The error value obtained by validating against the FoamDielExt experimental database in the case of the proposed method is 0.1037 against 0.1631 reported for BP-DSM method.

A miniaturized four-port multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications is presented. The proposed UWB MIMO antenna has a compact size of 34 × 34 mm². Four antenna elements are placed orthogonally, and the element is connected to the feed line through metal vias in the substrate. These metal vias increase the bandwidth of the high frequency part of the antenna. A T-shaped slit, a rectangular slit, and a triangular chamfer are etched on the ground between two adjacent antenna elements. The working bandwidth of the antenna is 2.5-11.6 GHz, covering the entire UWB application band. The isolation between antenna elements is more than 18 dB within the operating bandwidth. Details of the design methodology and results are presented and discussed. Envelope correlation coefficient is computed, and it is within the acceptable limit, which validates the design concept for building a compact MIMO antenna system with good performance.

A dual-band subharmonic mixer that employs both the second and fourth harmonics of a local oscillator signal in the mixing process is demonstrated for WIFI application. The design results in a simple and cost-effective mixer as it requires only one local oscillator (LO). A quarter-wave stepped impedance stub has been used to suppress both bands of radio frequency (RF) signal. The proposed dual-band subharmonic mixer is designed for two RF bands with the center frequencies at 2.45 GHz and 5 GHz using a single LO frequency at 1.3 GHz. For mixing purpose, the second and fourth harmonics of LO are utilized. Experimental measurements show high port-to-port isolation and achieve minimum conversion losses of 6.87 dB and 10.0 dB at 2.59 GHz and 5 GHz, respectively. The 3-dB RF bandwidth is 2.3 to 2.95 GHz for the second harmonic and 4.8 to 5.5 GHz for the fourth harmonic of LO signal. The input P1-dB compression points for two modes of the mixer are -9 dBm and -5 dBm, respectively. The RF-to-IF isolations are more than 18 dB (maximum 36 dB) and 20 dB (maximum 33 dB), over both the RF bands.

The design of a compact Pi-shape microstrip antenna for dual-polarized wideband response is proposed. The Pi-shape geometry is realized by modifying a compact C-shape patch. The two stubs placed on the Pi-shape patch edge, optimize the spacing in between the higher order TM₂₀ and TM₃₀ modes with respect to the fundamental TM₁₀ mode which yield a bandwidth of more than 430 MHz (>35%). On an air suspended substrate, antenna exhibits broadside gain of more than 5 dBi over the impedance bandwidth. The orthogonal surface current variations across the TM₁₀, TM₂₀ and TM₃₀ modes realize polarization agility satisfying the requirements of GSM900/navigation satellite applications/ISM900. With respect to the band start frequency, the proposed configuration offers 11% reduction as compared with the equivalent rectangular microstrip antenna. Further, by defining the resonant length at each of the Pi-shape patch modes, the formulation for their resonant frequency is proposed. The Pi-shape antennas redesigned using them at the given fundamental mode frequency yield similar dual polarized wideband responses offering bandwidth of > 35%.

This paper investigates the effect of an external plane wave on a Multi-conductor transmission line (MTL) located above a multilayer soil directly in the time domain. An improved finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is used, in conjunction with the Vector Fitting (VF), to obtain the recursion relations of voltages and currents along the line by discretizing the equations in time and one-dimensional space. The source terms of the coupling equations are efficiently obtained in the time domain based on the Gaver-Stehfest algorithm. An equivalent model is also established in this work, where the geometry with three conductors is reduced to two conductors. Finally, some examples are presented to illustrate the effect of the soil and the plane wave on the transient.

In this paper, a novel mechanical-variable-flux flux-intensifying interior permanent magnet (MVF-FI-IPM) motor is proposed, which employs a mechanical flux-adjusting device and owns the characteristic of L_d>L_q. The magnetic poles can be rotated by the mechanical device to vary the leakage flux and adjust the angle of magnetization direction relative to the d-axis. The characteristic of L_d>L_q is achieved through the adoption of surface flux barriers. The topology structure and operation principle of the machine are introduced. Then, the operation of the mechanical flux-adjusting device is analyzed by virtual prototype technology. Based on the two-dimensional finite element method (FEM), the electromagnetic characteristics of the proposed motor and FI-IPM motor are compared. Finally, the results show the proposed motor with a better flux-weakening capability and a lower risk of irreversible demagnetization than that of the FI-IPM motor.

A highly sensitive temperature sensor based on a polymer cavity of a Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) is experimentally demonstrated. The interferometer gives ease in fabrication, and it can be formed by the induction of a thermos-sensitive polymer layer in between two single mode fibers (SMFs). The polymer is used as an FPI cavity for temperature sensing. Due to high thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) and thermos-optic coefficient (TOC) of polymer make the interferometer highly sensitive to ambient temperature. The maximum temperature sensitivity of 2.2209 nm/°C for the polymer FPI cavity of 40.61 µm in the ambient temperature range of 28°C to 34°C is obtained. The proposed sensor shows the advantages of high sensitivity, compactness, simple fabrication, and low cost. Thus, it may become a part of various practical applications in the field of environmental science and engineering sciences.

This paper proposes a novel miniaturized bandpass filter by loading a stepped-impedance resonator (SIR). Owing to the intrinsic characteristic of SIR, a third-order bandpass filter with SIR is presented, which has a size reduction of 38% compared with the conventional hairpin-line filter. On account of the electrical tape gap effect of a defected ground structure (DGS), further miniaturization is realized by introducing a pair of complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) DGSs. Besides, frequency selectivity and out-of-band rejection can be improved by adding CSRR DGS and source-load (S-L) coupling structures, which produce two transmission zeros at two side band of passband respectively. The results show that the passband range is 3.4-3.6 GHz, and the final size is reduced by 50.3%.

The concept of ultra-wideband (UWB) reconfigurable mmWave/THz microstrip antenna with a newfangled gold radiating patch with two PIN diodes installed on a benzocyclobutene (BCB) polymer is presented. The reconfigurable types of the proposed antenna are frequencies, bandwidths (BWs), and beams reconfigurations. This reconfigurable antenna was designed and simulated with the time-domain based on a FIT solver at the CST MWS solver, while the comparison was with the frequency-domain based onthe FEM solver at the CST MWS solver. The simulation results obtained from both solvers were in fair agreement, supporting the proposed antenna design. These antennas may be used in cellular communication at mmWave/THz band for beyond 5G.

In order to investigate the influence of different magnetization modes on the electromagnetic performance of magnetic gear, four models of magnetic gear with different magnetization modes are established. The finite element method is used to simulate the four models and compare their performances. The distribution of magnetic flux lines, air gap magnetic field, harmonic distribution, static torque and dynamic torque are calculated, respectively. The simulation results show that the coaxial magnet gear with Halbach array has larger air gap flux density amplitude, smaller air gap harmonic content and higher output torque than the other three kinds of magnetic gears.

Double-stator switched reluctance motors (DSSRMs) acquire attention because of their high torque/power generating capability compared to conventional and segmented rotor switched reluctance motors. One of the main limiting performance indices of such motors for industrial applications is its high torque ripple. This paper proposes a 12/10/12 pole DSSRM with an angular shift of half of the stroke angle between inner and outer stators. The respective phase windings of the inner and outer stators are parallelly excited with the same phase angle shift to reduce the torque ripple. Each rotor segment is constructed with a pair of half rotor segments that are isolated from each other through the insertion of a non-magnetic isolator between them. Firstly, the design hypothesis for a low torque ripple DSSRM has been presented; thereafter, some geometric modifications have been suggested and investigated to obtain a nearby response in the proposed DSSRM. The calculation of the width of the non-magnetic isolator, modification in the pole height of outer stator and modification in the arc angles of rotor segments/stator poles are discussed in detail. The effectiveness of the proposed motor is investigated through a 2D finite-element modelling and simulation in ANSYS/MAXWELL software. Simulation results show that the torque ripple is significantly reduced by 74.9% in the proposed DSSRM compared to the baseline DSSRM.

This paper presents a multifunctional metasurface based reflective polarization converter, to convert the polarization of incident electromagnetic wave in three adjacent frequency bands. In the first band linear to circular polarization conversion and in the remaining two bands linear to orthogonal polarization conversion is achieved. The designed metasurface consists of two circular split rings and a star-shaped split resonator which is fabricated on a metal-backed dielectric substrate. From the simulation results, it is evident that the orthogonal linear polarization conversion band is observed at 9.2 GHz and 12.8 GHz with a polarization conversion ratio of more than 92%. Similarly, it is identified that the same metasurface converts the incident linear polarized wave to circularly polarized wave at 7.3 GHz. Furthermore, the proposed metasurface maintains the handedness of the circularly polarized incident wave at 9.2 & 12.8 GHz frequency upon reflection. The proposed multifunctional polarization converter has a simple planar geometry and low profile which can be used in many applications, such as reflector antennas, imaging systems, remote sensors, and radiometers.