New H2020 Project

ALMA Sistemi has been awarded the EU Horizon 2020 Research Innovation Staff Exchange project “Plasma Antenna Technologies” (PATH). The project is based on staff exchange between the members of a network that includes ALMA Sistemi as coordinator, Technology for Innovation Srl and the University of Padua (Italy), the University of Southampton and Mars Space Ltd (United Kingdom), the Technical University of Crete (Greece) and ASC Antenna Systems Consulting APS (Copenhagen, Denmark).

PATH is intended to promote collaborative research focused on the development of high-density plasma sources, implemented through the exchange of staff between the partners of the network. The research will also address knowledge transfer and researcher training in the specific field of plasma sources and their applications in the telecommunications sector. High-density plasma sources have many industrial applications, from material treatment to telecommunications.

Overcoming the current density limits of existing sources will open new frontiers in several technological fields. PATH aims to connect various competencies to study and develop prototypes of plasma sources and plasma antennas based on hybrid technologies such as radiofrequency and hollow cathode systems.

A Gaseous Plasma Antenna (GPA) is a plasma discharge confined in a dielectric tube that uses partially or fully ionised gas to generate and receive electromagnetic waves. GPAs are virtually “transparent” above the plasma frequency and become “invisible” when turned off. Unlike conventional metallic antennas, GPAs and Plasma Antenna Arrays can be reconfigured electrically (rather than mechanically) in terms of impedance, frequency, bandwidth and directivity on time scales in the order of microseconds or milliseconds.

It is also possible to stack arrays of GPAs designed to operate at different frequencies.

A Plasma Antenna will be able to:

I. Identify the direction of an incoming signal

II. Track and locate the antenna beam on the mobile/target

III. Perform beam-steering while minimising interferences

Current technology is based mainly on:

I. DC discharge

II. AC discharge

III. RF discharge

IV. Microwaves

V. Hollow cathode

Improving plasma source performance requires a strong effort in modelling and technology development. The aim of PATH is to merge European expertise to make a substantial step forward in innovative hybrid plasma sources.

PATH is currently in Grant Agreement preparation and it is planned to start in January 2017.