ANTENNA RESEARCH LABORATORY

Villanova’s Antenna Research Lab offers state-of-the-art measurement capabilities that exist at only a handful of universities in the United States. Its indoor facility, which includes a 29’ x 27’ x 28’ anechoic chamber (compact range) capable of fully automated high-quality pattern and gain measurements from 2-75 GHz, is equipped with the latest antenna and microwave design and measurement tools. The test facilities also include a planar near-field antenna test system from 500 MHz - 10 GHz. In addition, Villanova has teamed with Naval Sea Systems Command, NAVSEA-Philadelphia, to extend the capabilities of ARL to include accurate radar cross-section (RCS) measurements.

Current research areas include:

Low-profile, electrically small and reconfigurable antennas
Ultra-wideband antennas
Metamaterial surfaces and media
Through-the-wall microwave imaging
Millimeter-wave scale-model measurement
Design automation and optimization using evolutionary computational techniques

Measurement Facilities

ORBIT / FR Compact Range Serrated Reflector (AL-22404-AL):

Agilent E8364C Precision Network Analyzer and Data Acquisition System, 2-50GHz
Agilent N5260A Millimeter-Wave Controller with 50-75GHz Waveguide Heads
Orbit/FR 959 Spectrum Antenna Measurement
Orbit/FR AL-360-1P Polarization Positioner and Orbit/FR 4806 Controller 6 axis
Orbit/FR AL-4273-1 Elevation over Azimuth Positioner

ORBIT / FR Near Field AL-4951-1-5.5-5.5-V Planar Scanner:

HP8510C Network Analyzer and Data Acquisition System, 0.5-10GHz
HP 85301C Antenna Measurement System
HP 8530A microwave receiver, 8511B frequency converter and HP 83631B source (0.045-50GHz)
Orbit/FR 959 Spectrum Antenna Measurement Workstation
Orbit/FR Planar Scanner, 5.5ft X by 5.5ft Y by 10in Z by Roll travel

Computer Facilities and Electromagnetic CAD Tool

Computer facilities available for research in the antenna laboratory include a network of 9 sun Ultra 10 and Pentium II and III NT workstations. In addition, these laboratories are networked through a T3 line to the ECE department's network of more than 60 Sun Ultra research workstations, as well as to the College of Engineering network of about 150 NT workstations, and the university's network of mainframe computers.

The available computational software packages in the antenna laboratory include various commercial electromagnetic simulators and antenna CAD tools, as well as numerical codes developed in-house at the ARL. In particular, the electromagnetic simulation codes available for research include:

XFDTDTM, for finite-difference time-domain modeling of arbitrary 3-D structures
EnsembleTM for method of moments modeling of planar microstrip radiating structures
IE3DTM for method of moments modeling of 3-D microstrip circuits and antennas
MomentumTM for method of moments modeling of planar microstrip structures
SonnetTM for method of moments modeling of 3-D planar circuits
Numerical Electromagnetic Code (NEC) for simulation of wire-mesh modeling of conducting structures
High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSSTM) for finite element modeling of arbitrary 3-D structures
Various FDTD and MOM based simulation codes for antennas developed in-house at the Antenna Research Laboratory at Villanova.

CAC RESEARCHERS

Dr. Moeness Amin, Director

Dr. Amin has made major contributions to advances in the theory of signal and array processing with applications to radar, sonar, communications, satellite navigations, ultrasound, healthcare, and RFID. These contributions are captured in three books, 22 book chapters and over 800 publications with more than 20,000 citations and an H-index of 72. His numerous honors include the 2017 Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Advanced Science and Technology, the 2016 Alexander von Humboldt Research Award, the 2016 IET Achievement Medal and the 2014 IEEE Signal Processing Society Technical Achievement Award. MORE...

Dr. Ahmad Hoorfar

Dr. Hoorfar is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the Antenna Research Laboratory. He has contributed research in electromagnetic field theory, multifunction, wideband and low-profile antennas, miniaturized antennas, metamaterial media and surfaces, through-the-wall sensing and imaging radar, evolutionary computational methods and antenna measurement techniques. Among the sponsors for his research are the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, DARPA, Army Research Lab, Naval Air Warfare Center and numerous companies. Dr. Hoorfar has published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and conference papers, written more than 150 technical reports, and been an invited speaker at various international symposia in his key research areas. MORE...

Dr. Robert Caverly

Dr. Caverly is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the Microwave and Electromagnetics Laboratory where his research interests include characterization of semiconductor devices such as PIN diodes and FETs in the microwave and radio frequency control environment. From 2014–2016, he traveled the world as a Distinguished Microwave Lecturer, an IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S) appointment for those recognized as experts in their fields. He is also involved in analog and digital CMOS VLSI design, an area where he has taught a number of workshops, as well as courses at Villanova. Dr. Caverly is the author of more than 100 journal and conference papers and two books. MORE...

Dr. Rosalind Wynne

Dr. Wynne is an associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the Laboratory for Lightwave Devices. Her expertise is in photonics, fiber optic devices and sensors and microstructured fiber sensors for chemicals, biomaterials and hazardous materials. She teaches undergraduate courses in Introduction to Optoelectronics, Electronic Materials and Devices, and Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering, and graduate courses in Introduction to Photonics and Optical Communications. She was recently awarded a Manufacturing PA grant focusing on the optimization of microelectromechanical systems fabrication, assembly and packaging. MORE...

Dr. Meltem Izzetoglu

An assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Dr. Izzetoglu is director of the Biomedical Signals, Systems and Analysis Laboratory, where her focus of study is the brain. She has collaborated with researchers throughout the Philadelphia region and within and between universities both nationally and internationally. Current research includes aging studies, semantic memory recall and sustained attention research, and next-generation functional near-infrared spectroscopy-based optical brain imaging systems, for which she was awarded a Manufacturing PA grant. MORE...

CAC NEWS

Dr. Amin’s 800 Publications Pass 20,000 Citations with H-Index of 72

Dr. Moeness Amin, director of Villanova University's Center for Advanced Communications, reached an important milestone in his three decades of research and scholarship. His published work, which includes more than 250 journal papers and 550 conference papers, all while at Villanova, has exceeded 20,000 citations with an H-index of 72.

Professor Robert Caverly, PhD, Named Recipient of 2020 Outstanding Faculty Research Award

Dr. Robert Caverly, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the Microwave and Electromagnetics Laboratory was recognized for his impressive scholarship and reputation in microwave control circuitry. The award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates the highest standards of excellence in research, scholarship and contributions to their field.

Dr. Rosalind Wynne, Director, Laboratory for Lightwave Devices

CAC Researchers Awarded Grants through Manufacturing PA Initiative

Manufacturing PA awarded academic-industry research grants to Electrical and Computer Engineering’s Drs. Rosalind Wynne and Meltem Izzetoglu. Dr. Wynne is partnering with Avo Photonics on “Manufacturing Process, Assembly and System Yield Optimization for Microelectromechanical Systems Devices,” while Dr. Izzetoglu is developing a smart brain imager in collaboration with Infrascan, Inc.