Centre for Systems, Technologies and Applications for Radiofrequency and Communications Systèmes, technologies et applications en radiofréquence et communications NEWSLETTER SPRING 2018 1 A WORD FROM THE DIRECTORS The Centre for Systems, It is a pleasure to welcome you to the first edition of the STARaCom newsletter. Technologies and Applications We are very excited to have launched STARaCom, the union of SYTACom and for Radiofrequency and CREER. In this issue, we feature several exciting topics, including an introduction Communications (STARaCom) to the STARaCom Executive Committee and news from our members of recent is a Regroupement stratégique projects, awards and events. We also highlight STARaCom in numbers. funded by the Fonds de As we move forward into our first 6-year term, we will continue to mobilize and Recherche du Québec - Nature support Quebec’s ICT expertise in order to produce internationally acclaimed et Technologies (FRQNT). research that addresses significant ICT research challenges. However, this is STARaCom drives only the tip of the iceberg: in support of our members’ research, STARaCom collaborative Information and continues to secure operating and infrastructure funding to achieve solutions Communication Technologies to these challenges. In addition, by virtue of its multidisciplinary research (ICT) systems research in agenda, STARaCom has and will continue to create a training environment Quebec, as measured unlike any other in Quebec. With a rich constellation of ICT research topics, an by research output, funding, exceptional degree of collaboration among researchers, access to world-class visibility, and level of activity. infrastructure, and strong links to industry, training future generations of ICT scientific and engineering experts will remain one of STARaCom’s top priorities. The Centre supports members’ Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to thank le Fonds de recherche du research activities in order Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT) for their support of our first mandate. to increase collaborative We are proud of the extraordinary research achievements of our members, of communications systems our success in obtaining funding, and of the unique training opportunities that research in Quebec and at we provide for our students. Thanks to FRQNT, STARaCom is the foundation on the national and international which our accomplishments will grow. level. STARaCom comprises As always, we wish you 55 professors at 11 Quebec enjoyable reading. universities whose expertise spans the disciplines required – David V. Plant, for technology and system Centre Director development through – Jean-Jacques Laurin, scientific activities, sharing Center Co-Director of world-class infrastructure, interactions with industry and training of future generations of scientists and engineers. 2 CONTENTS 4 Poster Competition Winners 10 Meet STARaCom’s Executive Committee 14 NEWS- Projects, Awards, Events 20 MEMBERS CREDITS CONTRIBUTORS: Kay Johnson Maru Basanez Fabrice Labeau STARaCom Research Centre McGill University 3480 University #753 Montreal, Quebec, Canada Tel: 514 398-7475 www.staracom.mcgill.ca 3 POSTER COMPETITION WINNERS Implementation of resonant cavities based on substrate-integrated waveguide technology for environmental detection Majid Ndoye Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières AWARDED FIRST PRIZE he constant quest for more comfort and safety in domestic and industrial areas over the last few years Thas led to the proliferation of environmental sensors such as temperature, gas, humidity, or air quality control sensors. Despite the efforts made in the development of environmental sensors, technologies currently available on the market have significant limitations in terms of performance and cost of implementation. Therefore, this work presents innovative concepts for the implementation of microwave sensors for environmental detection. These devices are designed using resonant cavity structures based on substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology. Based mainly on the method of disturbed cavities, we derive analytical models of the behavior of electromagnetic fields within a SIW resonant • a multilayer structure including an air cavity for a very cavity. These models enable the development of methods sensitive detection of humidity, for optimal design and use of these devices for material • a monolithic structure integrating two resonant characterization and environmental detection purposes. cavities for the simultaneous detection of humidity and Based on the SIW microwave technology, we have temperature. developed devices with: • a rectangular resonant cavity including an inorganic Because of their designs using the resonant cavity dielectric material (SnO2) for the detection of hydrogen principle, our sensors have high sensitivity, and thanks to gas, their SIW-based design, these sensors are implemented • a circular resonant cavity incorporating a bio-degradable at a very low cost. material (nano-cellulose) for the detection of humidity, 4 Dielectric Conductor Air hole Sub 1 Sub 2 Sub 3 Input port Substrate Metalized posts N = 2 Temperature sensor Sensor 1 Humidity sensor Sensor 2 N = 6 Sensor 6 Sensor 4 Sensor 2 Sensor 5 Sensor 3 Sensor 1 Conductor Dielectric Sensing materials 55 Horn Antenna Millimeter-Wave Substrate Integrated Dual Level Gap Waveguide Technology Nima Bayat-Makou Concordia University AWARDED SECOND PRIZE he SIW structures are fed by planar transmission wider impedance bandwidth, without the need to use any lines such as microstrip lines. As SIW horn antennas aperture transitions to widen the bandwidth. T are often required to be implemented on electrically As the horn aperture is surrounded by outer hard surfaces thick substrates to reach a wide impedance bandwidth, (conductor surfaces), back-traveling surface waves are exciting them with planar feed lines at millimeter-wave causing a strong interaction with the bulky connector frequencies causes lots of spurious radiations and un- and destroy the symmetry of the E-plane main beam. wanted surface waves inside the substrate. The proposed By covering the hard surfaces with planar soft surfaces, configuration of the integrated horn design, which is based which are realized by transverse strips grounded by on elevated substrate integrated gap waveguide (E-SIGW) conducting vias, we have isolated the antenna radiating technology, provides the antenna with a thick radiating aperture from the feeding circuitries. Therefore, the aperture which is excited with a standard thin transmission antenna far field patterns are only affected by the line at millimeter-waves. main radiating aperture without being distorted by the By taking advantage of multi-layer PCB technology, feeding components. Besides, a considerable reduction we have designed an E-SIGW with a three-layer unit is achieved in the antenna back radiations since the cell configuration. The advantage of using E-SIGW for aperture waves are prevented from traveling backward. the design of H-plane horns is that it enables having a As a result, the antenna radiates a more symmetric fan multi-level structure for the horn interior. This is very beam radiation pattern with suppressed back lobes. helpful at the millimeter-wave frequencies since it Isolating the radiating aperture from the other parts allows the integrated horn antenna to be fed by a thin of the antenna or feeding circuits is important at the feed line while keeping a thick radiating aperture. In millimeter-wave frequencies because the volume of the this design, the H-plane integrated horn is excited by a feeding components is comparable with the wavelength 10-mm-thick microstrip line and radiates with a three- and disturb the antenna performance. time thicker aperture; this is simply not possible when The proposed integrated antenna configuration and its using conventional substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) aperture shielding mechanism can be utilized in wireless technology. Our configuration also eliminates the need to devices operating at millimeter-wave frequencies which feed the integrated horn by SIW; this is very beneficial, need to have a compact geometry with symmetric as the SIW feeding has limitations at higher frequencies fan-beam radiation pattern. and forces the horn to have the same aperture thickness as the feed line. Applying transitions between the horn interior layers improves the coupling of the propagating waves between the layers and provides the antenna with 6 p E-SIGW Horn with Soft Surface q Reflection Coefficient Comparison 0 -5 -10 S11 (dB) S11 -15 Single Level Horn -20 Double Level Horn without Transition Double Level Horn with Transition Measurement -25 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 Frequency (GHz) Electric field distribution around the E-Field Distribution Inside Horn Levels connector fed E-SIGW horn at 60 GHz (a) at upper thin layer (middle of h1), (a) without soft surfaces (b) with soft surfaces. (b) at lower layer (middle of h2). q q (a) (a) (b) (b) 7 RF Bra for Early Breast Cancer Detection Lena Kranold RF Breast Screening Research Lab Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada AWARDED THIRD PRIZE o increase survival rates for breast cancer patients, early detection is a key factor and established Tscreening technologies suffer from certain draw- backs (e.g., ionizing radiation, high cost, limited accessibility and invasiveness). We address these issues with the development of a wearable technology. Our approach utilizes low-power