High Frequency Electronics

High Frequency Electronics is an important sector for the UK electronics industry as it builds upon our skills in RF and analogue engineering.  The Electronics KTN has two main themes in this area: TeraHertz and the Square Kilometer Array.

Terahertz

The Terahertz (THz) region of the electromagnetic spectrum spans the frequency range between the mid infra-red and the millimetre/microwave (100 GHz – 30 THz). This region has a number of exciting properties: non-ionising, opaque materials can appear transparent, many substances have a readily identifiable frequency “footprint” and so a wide range of inspection solutions are available.

However, this region of the spectrum has yet to be properly exploited owing to the severely limited number of sources and detectors available leading to considerable academic interest in the production of radiation sources which emit in the THz region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Over the last ten years, terahertz science has advanced considerably with both optical-bench-based systems and solid state THz lasers (quantum cascade lasers) now routinely available. These advances are now leading to the uptake by early adopters and market sectors are starting to appear.

The Electronics KTN runs an annual conference, in January each year, to bring together academics, manufactureres and end users to discuss advances in the industry.

Square Kilometre Array

The Square Kilometre Array Telescope (SKA telescope) is an international project to develop a radio telescope with a resolution 50 times greater than any current instrument and will be capable acquiring data at a rate equivalent to the total global internet traffic of today. This ground breaking global project was originally conceived in the UK and the international project coordination team is based in Manchester.

Although the project is part of the STFC portfolio we are keen to ensure it is well known to UK industry to maximise the potential opportunities.  It is a fascinating project – building the largest sensor network in the world?

Europe is playing a leading role in establishing the overall design.  Since 2005 this has been funded under an EC Framework 6 programme - SKA Design Study (SKADS) augmented by multi-national funding to a total of €38M.  From mid-2009 the international effort will enter a new phase within the EC Framework Programme 7 "PrepSKA", coordinated by the STFC.

The UK's vision for the SKA is of a system with an  all-digital broad-band low-noise phased arrays connected by a massive communication and data processing network has clear links with the wider economy. For example:

• Phased arrays: The astronomical requirements "extend the envelope" in terms of very broad-band antenna elements coupled to low noise LNAs, low-power high speed ADCs. All are of direct relevance to a wide range of RF communications systems, including UWB, software radio, RFID devices.
  
• Real Time processing: Optimal and large-scale processing in parallel systems is of increasing importance in the computer industry, new algorithms could have a major impact. 
  
• Data Transfer: The telecommunications industry is already looking ahead to Peta-bit systems, any low cost development in PrepSKA will be of direct interest to the industry. 
  
• System Architecture: Simulation techniques are of interest to engineers building large scale systems, not just in the technologies used in SKA. 
  
• Data processing and management: The huge amount of data produced by SKA will require novel data-base techniques of interest to the computer industry 
  
• Infrastructure and the Green SKA: The RFI elimination techniques are of importance in a wide variety of applications and the reduction of power consumption is of interest to us all

From mid-2009 the international effort will enter a new phase within the EC Framework Programme 7 "PrepSKA", coordinated by the STFC. Its main deliverables in 2012 are an internationally agreed, costed, SKA design complemented by viable models for governance, procurement and implementation.

To ensure UK industry is prepared to be part of this next phase the Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network has prepared a set of meetings giving an overview of the project followed by more specialist meetings on the key technology areas.

For further details see SKA Programme