We have developed an all-optical fiber link antenna measurement system for a millimeter wave 5th generation mobile communication frequency band around 28 GHz. Our developed system consists of an optical fiber link an electrical signal transmission system, an antenna-coupled-electrode electric-field (EO) sensor system for 28GHz-band as an electrical signal receiving system, and a 6-axis vertically articulated robot with an arm length of 1m. Our developed optical fiber link electrical signal transmission system can transmit the electrical signal of more than 40GHz with more than -30dBm output level. Our developed EO sensor can receive the electrical signal from 27GHz to 30GHz. In addition, we have estimated a far field antenna factor of the EO sensor system for the 28GHz-band using an amplitude center modified antenna factor estimation equation. The estimated far field antenna factor of the sensor system is 83.2dB/m at 28GHz.

This paper describes numerical analyses of the distance-dependent gain variation that exists in gain measurements based on the Friis transmission formula for typical broadband antennas, including double-ridged guide horn and log-periodic dipole array antennas. The analyses are performed by simulating gain measurements using the method of moments with higher-order basis functions and the finite integration method. In addition, we propose approximate techniques to determine the antenna phase center by exploiting the distance dependence of the gain. Simulation and experimental results show the effectiveness of using the location of the phase center to accurately determine the far-field gain at reduced antenna separation distances.

In the 300 MHz to 3 GHz range, probes used to measure specific absorption rate (SAR) of mobile communication devices are usually calibrated using a rectangular waveguide filled with tissue-equivalent liquid. Above 3 GHz, however, this conventional calibration can be inaccurate because the diameter of the probe is comparable to the cross-sectional dimension of the waveguide. Therefore, an alternative method of SAR probe calibration based on another principle was needed and has been developed by the authors. In the proposed calibration method, the gain of the reference antenna in the liquid is first evaluated using the two-antenna method based on the Friis transmission formula in the conducting medium. Then the electric field intensity radiated by the reference antenna is related to the output voltage of the SAR probe at a given point in the liquid. However, the fields are significantly reduced in the liquid, and the gain is impossible to calibrate in the far-field region. To overcome this difficulty, the Friis transmission formula in the conducting medium must be extended to the near-field region. Here, we report results of simulations and experiments on estimated gain based on the extended Friis transmission formula, which holds in the near-field region, and test the validity of the new formula.

A method is presented for the simultaneous measurement of the absolute gain of antennas in solution and the dielectric properties of the solution. The principle and formulation are based on a modified Friis transmission formula. This three-antenna method is applied to gain measurement of printed dipole antennas in solution, and demonstrated through comparison with calculated results to be an accurate method for the measurement of both antenna gain and solution dielectric properties.