Memristors for Low-Power, Passive RF Devices

智能优点：自适应阻抗匹配使具有动态波束形成能力的低成本混合天线的发展成为可能，这将改善无线通信的性能。然而，现有的方法存在一些挑战，包括：(I)混合天线中的固定阻抗限制了灵活性并阻止了动态波束形成，(Ii)使用半导体进行阻抗切换有几个缺点。其中包括：(A)要求持有？通过维持最小激活电压使晶体管处于特定状态，从而导致其能耗增加，以及(B)晶体管和半导体的非线性引入偏置，从而改变天线接收的强信号和弱信号之间的有效阻抗。相反，本项目的目标是研究和设计一种新的射频前端设计方法，用忆阻器取代传统的基于CMOS的阻抗开关。特别是，基于忆阻器的射频前端将被应用于无源RFID技术和混合天线的设计中。预期的贡献包括了解忆阻器在射频(RF)应用中的性能，以及更灵活地设计天线的阻抗匹配网络。这项工作的最终结果可能导致天线和射频前端设备设计的变革性范式。广泛影响：主要提案成果是对如何将不同类型的忆阻器应用于射频系统(如用于微弱信号的自适应天线阵列)的新知识和理解，以及阻抗匹配网络及其调谐的简化设计。这将使无源射频识别(RFID)系统中更便宜、更简单的波束形成混合天线的新设计成为可能。这些好处将适用于其他通信系统，如认知网络和雷达系统。一系列外展活动包括通过密苏里州S&T学生多元化项目办公室吸引女性和来自代表性不足的少数族裔的学生，以及通过密苏里州S&T暑期研究学院项目吸引高中生的K-12外展活动。从长远来看，这些成果将支持一些基于忆阻器的技术在通信系统中的应用，包括可穿戴天线系统和传感器，并增强农村地区目前没有服务的地区的无线互联网接入系统的性能和覆盖范围。

AbstractIntellectual Merit: Adaptive impedance matching enables development of low cost hybrid antennas with dynamic beamforming capabilities that will improve the performance of wireless communication. However, there are several challenges with existing approaches including: (i) fixed impedance in hybrid antennas restricts flexibility and prevents dynamic beamforming, (ii) employment of semiconductors for impedance switching has several drawbacks. These include: (a) requirement of ?holding? a transistor in a specific state by maintaining a minimum activation voltage leading to an increase in its energy consumption, and (b) nonlinearity of transistors and semiconductors introduce a bias, which changes the effective impedance between strong and weak signals received by an antenna. In contrast, the goal of this project is to study and design a novel approach to RF front-end design with memristors replacing traditional CMOS-based impedance switching. In particular, the memristor-based RF front ends will be employed in a passive RFID technology and hybrid antenna design. The expected contributions include understanding the performance of memristors in radio frequency (RF) applications, and more flexible design of impedance matching networks for antennas. The end result of this effort could lead to a transformative paradigm in designing antennas and RF front-end devices.Broader Impact: The main proposal outcomes are a new knowledge and understanding of how different type of memristors could be applied to RF systems such as adaptive antenna arrays for weak signals, and a simplified design of impedance matching networks and their tuning. This will enable new designs of cheaper and simpler beamforming hybrid antennas in passive radio frequency identification (RFID) systems. The benefits will apply to other communication systems such as cognitive networks and radar systems. A set of outreach activities include engagement of women and students from under-represented minorities through the Missouri S&T Student Diversity Programs office and K-12 outreach that engages high school students through the Missouri S&T Summer Research Academy (SRA) program. In the long term, the outcomes will support a number of memristor based technology applications in communication systems including wearable antenna systems and sensors, and enhancing performance and coverage of wireless Internet access systems for rural, currently-not-serviced areas.