Prototype of the novel H-field time-domain sensor.
Prototype of the novel E-field time- domain sensor.
Sensors
Background
Measuring the electromagnetic energy emitted by technological devices, such as wireless network devices, mobile phones or cooking appliances, and the energy absorbed by the body requires highly specialized sensors. With the miniaturization of electronic devices and the demand for ever-increasing functionalities, electromagnetic sensor technologies are constantly subject to novel constraints and requirements, particularly with respect to their size, their frequency coverage, and sensitivity. Specialized electromagnetic sensors are required for diverse applications ranging from compliance testing of mobile phones (SAR measurement in tissue simulating liquids) and of fixed transmitter installations to the validation of complex antenna structures (phase array, MIMO systems or MRI multi-transmit coils), and the verification of the safety of medical implants to the far-reaching area of near-field EMC/EMI analysis.
Selected Past Achievements
- Advanced automated scanning systems (DASY) for dosimetric (SAR) assessments (Schmid et al, 1996)
- Development of advanced miniaturized probes and calibration techniques for RF EM near-field evaluations (ETH Thesis 13334, 1999)
- Microthermal sensors for dosimetric evaluation in EM-hostile environments (Schuderer et al, 2004)
- Novel near-field probe providing pseudo-polarization information (Pokovic et al, 2000)
- Electro-optical sensor platform for EM near-field measurments of phase and amplitude (Kramer et al, 2006)
- Design of the first planar dosimetric scanner for pre-compliance & production line testing as well as for R&D applications (Kühn & Kuster, 2007)
- Mobile measurement systems for the assessment of mobile phones in realistic usage scenarios (ETH Thesis 18637, 2009)
- Currently, we are finalizing the development of novel miniaturized active electro-optical E- and H-field sensors.
Next Challenges
- Development of highly integrated active optical isotropic field sensors for EMC/EMI applications
- Frequency range extension of our active optical sensor platforms for measuring EM-fields from DC to K-band
- Development of passive optical sensors for DC to W-band applications
- Development of an integrated near-field EMC/EMI assessment solution.
