Stand carrying capacity is the maximum size of population for a species under given environmental conditions. Site resources limit the maximum volume or biomass that can be sustained in forest stands. This study was aimed at estimating and determining the carrying capacity in loblolly pine. Maximum stand basal area (BA) that can be sustained over a long period of time can be regarded as a measure of carrying capacity. To quantify and project stand BA carrying capacity, one approach is to use the estimate from a fitted cumulative BA-age equation; another approach is to obtain BA estimates implied by maximum size-density relationships (MSDRs), denoted implied maximum stand BA. The efficacy of three diameter-based MSDR measures: Reineke's self-thinning rule, competition-density rule and Nilson's sparsity index, were evaluated. Estimates from three MSDR measures were compared with estimates from the Chapman-Richards (C-R) equation fitted to the maximum stand BA observed on plots from spacing trials. The spacing trials, established in the two physiographic regions (Piedmont and Coastal Plain), and at two different scales (operational and miniature) were examined and compared, which provides a sound empirical basis for evaluating potential carrying capacity. Results showed that the stands with high initial planting density approached the stand BA carrying capacity sooner than the stands with lower initial planting density. The maximum stand BA associated with planting density developed similarly at the two scales. The potential carrying capacity in the two physiographic regions was significantly different. The value of implied maximum stand BA converted from three diameter-based MSDR measures was similar to the maximum stand BA curve obtained from the C-R equation. Nilson's sparsity index was the most stable and reliable estimate of stand BA carrying capacity. The flexibility of Nilson's sparsity index can illustrate the effect of physiographic regions on stand BA carrying capacity. Because some uncontrollable factors on long-term operational experiments can make estimates of stand BA carrying capacity unreliable for loblolly pine, it is suggested that the stand BA carrying capacity could be estimated from high initial planting density stands in a relatively short period of time so that the risk of damages and the costs of experiments could be reduced. For estimating carrying capacity, another attractive option is to choose a miniature scale trial (microcosm) because it shortens the experiment time and reduces costs greatly. / Master of Science

L’objectif de cette thèse est de concevoir et de réaliser un mobile piézoélectrique pour utilisation coopérative. Le terme mobile piézoélectrique est utilisé dans cette thèse pour décrire un robot piézoélectrique miniature. Ce robot miniature mobile est actionné par des matériaux piézoélectriques. L’objectif de la thèse est donc la conception et la réalisation d’un robot pouvant être miniaturisé et qui pourrait donc être utilisé dans le cadre du mimétisme des essaims biologiques (fourmis, abeilles…) pour un fonctionnement coopératif.Le robot réalisé est constitué d'un support mince et de patchs piézoélectriques. Les patchs piézoélectriques sont collés sur le support de façon intelligente afin de déplacer le support en milieu terrestre. Dans ce contexte, la thèse est divisée en trois parties.La première partie est consacrée à la modélisation d’un tel système (support mince avec des patches piézoélectriques sur une seule de ses faces). Une modélisation par la méthode des éléments finis est développée pour ce système en se basant sur le principe variationnel d’Hamilton et en considérant l'hypothèse de Love-Kirchhoff. L’originalité de cette modélisation réside dans l’utilisation de la notion du plan neutre pour modéliser ce système asymétrique. Cela permet de ne modéliser le système étudié que par un modèle éléments finis à deux dimensions (2D) tout en tenant compte de la troisième dimension dans le calcul. La deuxième partie présente le principe de fonctionnement du robot qui est inspiré des moteurs linéaire ultrasoniques à ondes progressive. Cette partie présente toutes les étapes de la conception optimale afin de créer les mouvements nécessaires. La conception optimale est étudiée en utilisant la modélisation par éléments finis obtenue dans la première partie. La troisième partie de cette thèse est dédiée à la réalisation d’un prototype expérimental. Le processus de fabrication ainsi que l’électronique associée au robot sont présentés dans cette partie. Le robot est caractérisé expérimentalement en mesurant la vitesse en fonction de la tension appliquée, la vitesse en fonction de masses embarquées par le robot et la vitesse en fonction de la force fournie par le robot. Ce robot est, par ailleurs, comparé avec d’autres systèmes de même nature. / The objective of this thesis is to design and realize a piezoelectric mobile for cooperative use. The term piezoelectric mobile is used in this thesis to describe a piezoelectric miniature robot. This mobile miniature robot is actuated by piezoelectric materials. The aim of the thesis is the design and the realization of a robot that can be miniaturized and could therefore be used in the context of biological mimicry swarms (ants, bees ...) for a cooperative operation.The realized robot consists of a thin support and piezoelectric patches. Piezoelectric patches are bonded on the support on an intelligent manner in order to move the support on land. In this context, the thesis is divided into three parts.The first part is devoted to the modeling of such a system (thin support with piezoelectric patches on one of its faces). Modeling by the finite element method is developed for this system based on the variational principle of Hamilton and considering the Love-Kirchhoff hypothesis. The originality of this model lies in the use of the concept of the neutral plane to model this asymmetric system. This allows modeling the system studied by a finite element model in two dimensions (2D), taking into account the third dimension in the calculation.The second part presents the operating principle of the robot which is inspired by the linear traveling wave ultrasonic motors. This section presents all the stages of the optimal design to create the necessary movements. The optimal design is investigated using finite element modeling obtained in the first part.The third part of this thesis is devoted to the realization of an experimental prototype. The manufacturing process and the associated electronics for the robot are presented in this section. The robot is characterized experimentally by measuring the speed according to the applied voltage, the speed versus mass loaded by the robot and the speed according to the force provided by the robot. This robot is also compared with other similar systems.

Jean-Baptiste Isabey (1767-1855) connaît une carrière exceptionnellement longue qui s’étend de la Révolution au Second Empire. Après avoir exposé ses premières œuvres au Salon de 1791, cet élève de Jacques-Louis David s’impose sur la scène artistique du Directoire comme le premier dessinateur et miniaturiste de son temps. En s'inscrivant dans un contexte favorable à la diffusion de portraits de moindre coût et de moindre format, sa réussite peu commune rend compte de l'évolution des critères de la reconnaissance artistique à la fin du XVIIIe. Elle témoigne également de la promotion du statut social de l'artiste autour de 1800. Lié aux proches du clan Bonaparte sous la Consulat, Isabey est un des portraitistes de la période les mieux introduits auprès des élites. Son habileté à exploiter des sujets qui répondent aux goûts de ses contemporains permets de mesurer l'importance des relations mondaines dans la naissance et la diffusion des réputations artistiques au tournant du XIXe siècle. Entre 1800 et 1805, Isabey est l'auteur de plusieurs grands dessins de propagande qui scandent les principales étapes de la consolidation du nouveau pouvoir. Familier de la noblesse impériale, l'artiste accumule honneurs et commandes officielles au lendemain du Sacre. Sa réputation est associée aux portraits miniatures de l’Empereur destinés à la caisse des présents diplomatiques et à quelques-unes des plus célèbres représentations officielles de Marie-Louise et du roi de Rome. Ses responsabilités sont extrêmement variées et sa production considérable : il est à la fois peintre des relations extérieures, dessinateur du cabinet et des cérémonies et décorateur en chef de l'Opéra. L'étude de ce parcours pluridisciplinaire offre un champ d'étude remarquable, qui nous fournit bien des clefs pour comprendre la carrière et le statut des artistes de cour sous l'Empire. Après Waterloo, Isabey est mis à l’écart du pouvoir en raison de ses engagements bonapartistes. L'artiste exécute alors plusieurs caricatures et portraits qui le montrent prompt à critiquer la monarchie restaurée. L'analyse des effets de la résistance au régime royaliste dans le monde des arts entre 1815 et 1820 aide à saisir le sens de son engagement dans l'opposition. La période qui s’ouvre au lendemain des Cent-Jours est également fondamentale pour comprendre le parcours artistique d'Isabey et pour apprécier la place que lui assignèrent ses contemporains dans l’art de la première partie du XIXe siècle. Son abondante production, qui se décline en miniatures sur vélin, dessins, lithographies, aquarelles et peintures à l’huile le montre soucieux de l'évolution du goût. Elle met aussi en lumière la difficulté qu'il éprouve à conserver sa réputation de portraitiste après 1820. Cette thèse fournit pour la première fois un catalogue de l’œuvre d'Isabey / Jean-Baptiste Isabey (1767-1855) had an exceptionally long career that spanned from the French Revolution until the Second French Empire. After his early works' exhibition at the Salon of 1791, this student of Jacques-Louis David rapidly became, on the art scene of the French Directory, the finest artist and miniaturist of his time. In a context that made the dissemination of low-cost and small-sized portraits easier, his unusual success reflects the change of artistic recognition criteria in the late eighteenth century. It also reflects the improvement of the social status of artists around 1800. Linked to people that were close to Bonaparte under the French Consulate, Isabey is one of the period's best introduced portraitists. His cleverness in using themes that meet his contemporaries' tastes clearly shows how important social relationships can be in the making and spreading of artistic reputations at the turn of the nineteenth century. Between 1800 and 1805, Isabey is the author of several large propaganda drawings that punctuate the main steps of the new power's consolidation. Familiar with the imperial nobility, the artist collects honours and official commissions in the wake of the Coronation. His reputation is associated with miniature portraits of the Emperor made for the fund of diplomatic presents and with some of the most famous official representations of Marie-Louise and of the King of Rome. His responsibilities are manifold and he produces a lot: he is the official painter for external relations, designer of the Cabinet, designer of Ceremonies and chief decorator of the Opera. The study of this multidisciplinary career gives many keys to a better understanding of the career and status of court artists under the Empire. After Waterloo, Isabey is sidelined because of his bonapartist commitments. At this time the artist performs several caricatures and portraits where he clearly criticizes the freshly restored monarchy. Analysing the effects of this resistance to the royalist regime in the world of arts between 1815 and 1820 helps in understanding his commitment to the opposition. The period opening in the aftermath of the Hundred Days is also fundamental to understanding Isabey's artistic career and to appreciate the place he was assigned by his contemporaries in the art of the first part of the nineteenth century. His prolific output, which comes in miniature on vellum, drawings, lithographs, watercolours and oil paintings shows his constant concern about changing tastes. It also highlights the difficulty he has to maintain his reputation as a portraitist after 1820.This thesis provides for the first time a catalogue of Isabey's works

近年來微機電系統之技術與產品發展迅速，所衍生之微型光譜儀技術與產品，具有架構簡單、元件數少、輕薄短小、性價比高等特點，可以解決傳統光譜分析儀器之應用困境，並可應用至諸多領域，受到各方重視。微機電產業與半導體產業相容的特性，被視為下階段成長動力；2003年光譜分析儀器產業發生兩件併購案，可見微小化光譜儀的技術與市場，備受光電與醫藥集團重視與期待。在此產業環境與時空背景下，微型光譜儀技術是否具有市場價值，其產品應用領域是否具有成長潛力，而其技術價值是否得以評估與衡量，是一個具有技術與市場意義的研究主題。 透過技術文獻與專利資料之搜尋，本研究追溯光譜分析儀器的技術沿革與演進、光柵設計與製程的改善，討論微型光譜儀之技術特點與發展趨勢；其次並蒐集主要應用領域產業之市場資訊，包含光電、環境、生醫、農業、色彩等產業，分析各主要應用市場規模與相關產業概況；最後根據技術生命週期與技術評價方法，以假設條件建立價值分析模型，並與產業研究報告及國際併購案例進行比較分析。 研究結果發現，微型光譜儀之技術趨勢包括光學架構力求簡化與扁平設計，先進的凹面繞射光柵採向量電磁波法演算與可量產之微機電製程，而訊號處理能力與偵測器特性將成為新技術競爭之關鍵；專利搜尋結果透露大型光譜儀廠商尚未積極切入，而掌握應用領域且具有關鍵製程能力者，將主導技術市場。 本研究也發現在微型光譜儀的應用市場中，生醫感測與環境檢測最具爆發潛力，十年內之市場規模分別可達到新台幣200億及100億元；農業食品與色彩管理之應用市場也具有相當吸引力，若能開發低價且方便使用之消費性檢測裝置，其市場規模皆可達到新台幣60億以上；而光電量測主要屬產業設備應用，屬於穩定成長市場，規模大約維持在10億以內。總和微型光譜儀之五大應用市場，其規模在2015年預估約為新台幣150億，並將於2020年成長一倍至新台幣300億元。 經由技術評價文獻、研究報告併購案例與分析結果，本研究認為微型光譜儀產業屬於成長期階段，適合採用淨現金流量折現法評估技術價值；而近十年之微小光譜儀產業之併購案例，除展現綜效外，其併購規模與內容也反映了其技術價值與評價方式所隱含之技術生命週期認定。 最後，本研究假設一具有關鍵技術之新創公司模型，並以淨現金流量折現法計算其技術價值，在技術貢獻度（研發費用比例）接近40 % 條件下，技術價值約末與長期稅後純益相當，且與專利貢獻度及營收成長幅度呈現高度正相關。 基於以上研究發現，本研究建議國內相關研發機構與學術單位，加強微型光譜儀相關技術人才之培育，以及應用市場之保護措施，並且積極經由產學合作，建立專利或其他智慧財產防護壁壘，同時鼓勵企業投資與新創事業，以建立產業聯盟、加強獎勵措施與租稅優惠等方式，讓我國的半導體、光電、微電子與微機電等高科技產業，共同在新的微型光譜儀產業與市場競爭中取得先機。 / Because of the advantages of simple structures, less components, lower price, light weight and compact size, micro spectrometers apply to more and more fields which need optical spectrum detection and overcome the drawback of conventional spectrometers, which shows great market potential and business opportunities. Since MEMS fabrication is highly compatible to semiconductor industry and plays important role in the product and technology evolution of micro spectrometer, the development and applications of micro spectrometer are expected as a moving force of MEMS industrial growth. Two M&A cases in 2003 also indicate the market potential and technology value of miniature spectrometers are highly appreciated by the photonic enterprises and biomedical industry. Therefore, the topic of technology development and applied market value of miniature spectrometers is worth investigated. Spectrometer can analyze physical and chemical properties in material, which the used wavelength will depend on applications. The features of spectrum detection include: non-invasion, non-destruction, chemical discrimination, wavelength flexibility, high sensitivity and fast analysis speed. Apparently even with wide range of application, its popularity is not big enough. The main reasons come that conventional spectrometer uses the scanning mechanical design with long measurement time, high unit price and bulky size as well as inconvenient movement, complicated daily maintenance and wavelength calibration, so will substantially limit the industrial scale and growth. By analyzing the technical literatures and related patents, the technology trend of miniature spectrometers include: less components and simplified system designing, the advanced optical algorithm to cancel aberration of wavelength dispersion, and mass- productive MEMS fabrication. Signal processing and the characteristic of detector will be the key competitiveness of next evolving stage. Players who know the applications well and own the fabrication of key components will dominate the market. The applied markets of miniature spectrometer are also investigated in this thesis. The biomedical and environmental uses have most market potential, and the market value target 600M USD and 350M USD respectively. The market value of application in agricultural foods and color management are also target 200M USD and 180M USD once consumer-type devices with low price entering the markets. In the photonic instrument industry and optical measurement application, the market value will stably growing up and maintain the size around 30M USD. The sum total of five main applications of miniature spectrometers will target 450M USD in 2015 and 1000M USD in 2020. Regarding the studies on literature, market reports and M&A cases, the industry of miniature spectrometer can be identified in the growth stage, which discounted cash flow (DCF) method is most suitable for technical value analysis. The size and terms of two M&A cases of miniature spectrometer industry in 2003 also echo the evaluation, market value estimation and the identification of growth state in technical life cycle. A business model of a start-up company with key technology in miniature spectrometer is build and analyzed in this thesis. By DCF method and under the circumstance when R&D cost ratios 40 % of total cost, the technical vale equals long-term net annual profit and is highly related to R&D cost ratio and net profit size. By the investigation of this thesis, we suggest domestic research and academic institutes put more effects on technical development and talent education of miniature spectrometer. The preferential treatment to local firms and intellectual property barrier should be build as soon as possible. In such a way, the advantageous of semiconductor, opto-electronic, micro-electronic and MEMS industries in Taiwan will take more preference and business opportunity in miniature spectrometer market competition in the near future.

Miniature compliant grippers are designed and developed to manipulate biological cells and characterize them. Apart from grippers, other compliant mechanisms are also demonstrated to be effective in manipulation and characterization. Although scalability and force-sensing capability are inherent to a compliant mechanism, it is important to design a compliant mechanism for a given application. Two techniques based on Spring-lever models and kinetoelastostatic maps are developed and used for designing compliant devices. The kinetoelastostatic maps-based technique is a novel approach in designing a mechanism of a given topology and shape. It is also demonstrated that these techniques can be used to tune the stiffness of a mechanism for a given application. In situations where any single mechanism is incapable of executing a specific task, two or more mechanisms are combined into a single continuum with enhanced functionality. This has led to designs of composite compliant mechanisms. Biological cells are manipulated using compliant grippers in order to study their mechanical responses. Biological cells whose size varies from 1 mm (a large zebrafish embryo) to 10 µm (human liver cells), and which require the grippers to resolve forces ranging from 1 mN (zebrafish embryo) to 10 nN (human cells), are manipulated. In addition to biological cells, in some special cases such as tissue-cutting and cement-testing, inanimate specimens are used to highlight specific features of compliant mechanisms. Two extreme cases of manipulation are carried out to demonstrate the efficacy of the design techniques. They are: (i) breaking a stiff cement specimen of stiffness 250 kN/m (ii) gentle grasping of a soft zebrafish embryo of stiffness 10 N/m. Apart from manipulation, wherever it is viable, the mechanisms are interfaced with a haptic device such that the user’s experience of manipulation is enriched with force feedback. An auxiliary study on the characterization of cells is carried out using a micro¬pipette based aspiration technique. Using this technique, cells existing in different conditions such as perfusion, therapeutic medicines, etc., are mechanically characterized. This study is to qualitatively compare aspiration-based techniques with compliant gripper-based manipulation techniques. A compliant gripper-based manipulation technique is beneficial in estimating the bulk stiffness of the cells and can be extended to estimate the distribution of Young’s modulus in the interior. This estimation is carried out by solving an inverse problem. A previously reported scheme to solve over specified boundary conditions of an elastic object—in this case a cell—is improved, and the improved scheme is validated with the help of macro-scale specimens.

This paper describes my work with a historical craft and my attempt to find new ways to look at it, work with it and present it. I use the embroidery technique Hardangersaum which is all white, and where selected threads of the woven fabric grid are removed while others are wrapped and embellished. The artistic research leans heavily on the traditional craft but tries to isolate it from its historical baggage. I turn my focus to the grid of the fabric and I present some viewpoints from Rosalind Krauss and Hannah B. Higgins. I describe questions of scale and presentation that have emerged and show how digital animation has played a major role in the development and the communication of the embroidery work.

Relicário [a natureza da natureza] é o corpo de trabalhos artísticos aqui reunidos sob esta forma coesa. Esta tesecompêndio inclui realizar o trabalho em si mesmo, tanto quanto pensar formas de registrar e documentar organizadamente o processo criativo, bem como o trabalho finalizado com suas inter-relações e desdobramentos. Esta organização visual busca compartilhar a percepção do artista visual durante o desenvolvimento de seus processos criativos e de pesquisa, tornando evidente e valorizando a complexidade intelectual desta área do conhecimento humano: a linguagem visual. A tese é uma colagem não linear, premissa necessária para refletir a coesão e a multiplicidade simultânea e circular do pensamento visual. / Reliquary [the nature of nature] is the body of artistic works gathered here in this cohesive form, where seeing, doing and thinking are faces of the same creative act. This thesiscompendium includes performing the work itself, as well as thinking of ways to record and document the creative process and the work finalized with their interrelationships and unfolding. This visual organization seeks to share the perception of the visual artist during the development of her creative and research processes, making evident and valuing the intellectual complexity of this area of human knowledge: visual language. The thesis is a non-linear collage, a necessary premise to reflect the cohesion and the simultaneous and circular multiplicity of visual thinking.

Le prêtre Youssef Al-Musawwer est un peintre melkite alépin du XVIIe siècle qui aurait été initié à la peinture postbyzantine à l’étranger dans une région grecque qui demeure difficile à identifier. Il est le chef d’une descendance de peintres qui s’est poursuivie sans discontinuité jusqu’à la fin du XVIIIe siècle. Son œuvre s’inscrit dans le cadre de la renaissance littéraire du patriarcat melkite d’Antioche. Il était à la fois traducteur, copiste, miniaturiste et peintre d’icônes. Nous comptons dix-sept icônes et cinq manuscrits enluminés de Youssef Al-Musawwer. Notre étude a démontré l’attachement de Youssef Al-Musawwer aux œuvres crétoises conservatrices qui remontent aux XVe-XVIe siècles et qui s’éloignent des influences de la Renaissance italienne. Il s'est également inspiré des modèles iconographiques du Nord de la Grèce, de la peinture arménienne et ottomane ainsi que des ouvrages imprimés occidentaux. Youssef Al-Musawwer eut recours à l’hagiographie et à la liturgie pour créer de nouvelles compositions iconographiques. Il n’était pas par conséquent un peintre imitateur et passif. Ses compositions iconographiques, ses connaissances linguistiques ainsi que ses vastes compétences théologiques et liturgiques font de lui un éminent humaniste du XVIIe siècle qui a marqué l’Église melkite. / Yusuf Al-Musawwer is a Melkite painter and priest from the 17th century. He might have been initiated to Postbyzantine painting abroad in a Greek region that remains difficult to identify. He is the first of a family of painters who continued his path without discontinuity until the end of the 18th century. His work is part of the literary revival of the Melkite patriarchate of Antioch. He was a translator, a copyist, a miniaturist and a painter of icons. Seventeen icons and five illuminated manuscripts realized by Yusuf Al-Musawwer have survived. Our study has demonstrated Yusuf Al-Musawwer's attachment to Cretan conservative works dating back to the 15th-16th centuries and which moved away from the influences of the Italian Renaissance. He was also inspired by the iconographic models of Northern Greece, Armenian and Ottoman painting, as well as Western printed books. Yusuf Al-Musawwer was inspired by hagiography and liturgy to create new iconographic compositions. Therefore, he was not an imitative, passive painter. His iconographic compositions, his linguistic knowledge, and his vast theological and liturgical skills made him an eminent 17th century humanist who marked the Melkite Church.

Les objectifs de ce travail concernent l'étude, la conception et la caractérisation d'antennes miniatures actives ou passives, large bande ou bande étroite fonctionnant en bandes MF, HF et VHF. Le manuscrit est divisé en cinq parties : La première partie présente un système de caractérisation d'antennes qui a été développé, validé et utilisé pour tous les aériens conçus. Ce système, basé sur une cellule à plaque parallèles (PPC), permet un large spectre de mesures telles que la mesure du gain, du point de compression, de l'intermodulation et de la sensibilité via une méthode rayonnée, particulièrement intéressante dans le cas des antennes actives intégrées. La deuxième partie concerne les antennes solénoïdales sur ferrite. L'utilisation de simulateurs électromagnétiques 3D a permis d'obtenir des résultats qui sont comparés à la théorie proposée dans la littérature. Les principaux systèmes d'adaptation d'impédance sont également étudiés. La troisième partie met en avant la possibilité de concevoir des antennes à substrat ferromagnétique de géométrie non conventionnelle en utilisant des matériaux composites. Deux antennes miniatures fabriquées et fonctionnant en bande VHF permettent d'illustrer ce point. Dans la quatrième partie, nous présentons un concept d'antennes à substrat ferromagnétique partiellement saturé. L'utilisation d'une source de champ magnétique statique associée à un matériau initialement dispersif permet de constater un certain nombre de phénomènes intéressants, tels que l'amélioration de l'efficacité tout en préservant l'adaptation de l'antenne ou bien la création de directivité sur des antennes électriquement très compactes. La dernière partie présente la valorisation du travail à travers un projet de télécommunication hertzienne longue portée s'inscrivant dans le cadre de la navigation maritime. / The objectives of this work concern the study, the design and the measurement of miniaturized passive and active, broadband and narrowband antennas for MF, HF and VHF frequency bands. The thesis is divided into five parts : The first part deals with a measurement system, which has been developed, validated and used for all conceived aerials. The system is based on a parallel plate cell (PPC) and allows an evaluation of the gain, the compression point, the interception point and the sensitivity using a radiative method particularly useful in the case of active integrated antennas. The second part concerns solenoidal ferrite antennas. The results obtained from electromagnetic 3D simulators were compared to the state of the art theory. Main matching technics have also been studied. The third part put the light on the possibility of development of arbitrary shaped antennas on a ferromagnetic substrate using a composite material. Two antennas developed for the VHF band, confirm this point. In the fourth part, we present a concept of antennas on a partially saturated ferromagnetic substrate. A static magnetic field associated with an initially lossy material brings up some interesting phenomena such as an increased efficiency without a degradation of the impedance matching or the directivity with very small antennas. The last part presents an application of the work across a project dedicated to long distance telecommunications in marine navigation.

Une antenne auto-complémentaire possède des caractéristiques radioélectriques très intéressantes en ce qui concerne l’élargissement de sa bande passante. Basée sur le principe de Babinet, l’auto-complémentarité permet en effet de maximiser la largeur de bande de par la complémentarité air-métal dans la structure de l’antenne. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’étudier quels pouvaient être les apports de l’auto-complémentarité dans le cas d’antennes à fortes contraintes d’intégration telles que celles utilisées pour les terminaux mobiles. Pour tester les limites de notre étude, nous avons choisi d’appliquer nos résultats à l’intégration d’antennes auto-complémentaires dans un objet communicant de type Smartphone multi-standards. Les antennes dites AC doivent par conséquent satisfaire de nombreux critères de performances tout en montrant leur capacité d’intégration. Celle-ci est rendue d’autant plus délicate, que la miniaturisation implique à son tour des phénomènes physiques limitant certaines performances, notamment en basse fréquence avec la nouvelle bande LTE. Dans une première étude, nous avons considéré différentes antennes et opté pour les antennes IFA-AC sur un plan de masse fini afin de couvrir initialement les bandes hautes DCS/PCS/UMTS et WLAN/LTE2600. Dans une seconde étude, nous avons amélioré leurs performances à l’aide d’éléments structurels nouveaux et interdépendants (éléments rayonnants de type double IFA), qui nous ont permis d’obtenir des résultats probants relatifs notamment à la couverture des bandes LTE800 et GSM. Enfin, nous avons complété notre projet en optimisant le lien radio par l’intégration de plusieurs éléments rayonnants AC sur un même PCB. / In this thesis we present the design and optimization of self-complementary antennas to be integrated into a Smartphone. A self-complementary antenna is known as a radio antenna with very interesting bandwidth characteristics. Self-complementarity is based on the Babinet’s principle which aims to maximize bandwidth by considering the complementarity of the air and metal in the construction of an antenna. To achieve an objective, the antennas must satisfy a number of criteria, both in terms of performance and also for the design methods and integration. Miniaturization is very sensitive and it is more difficult to implement an antenna because of the physical phenomena limiting performance, especially at low frequency with the new 4G band. In this study we considered initially the self-complementary-IFA on a finite ground plane size: 120x60mm² in order to cover the high frequencies: DCS/PCS/UMTS and WLAN/LTE2600. In the second part, we focused on the possibility of using some improvement techniques by adding structural element (capacitive elements and radiating elements). Various geometrical modifications applied to antenna structures have also been used to obtain results satisfying all criteria, including coverage of LTE800 bands and GSM bands. Several prototypes were used to compare the theoretical results and validate the concept of self-complementarity. We completed the project by developing a way to improve the radio link in natural environments. We have implemented several radiating self-complementary miniature multiband/broadband elements on the same PCB in order to implement the principles of diversity or MIMO.