With the growth of wireless communications, comes the need for engineers knowledgeable in 3D electromagnetic (EM) simulation of high-frequency circuits. To give electrical engineering students a better understanding of the behavior of electromagnetic fields, experiments including the use of 3D EM simulation software were proposed. Most students get lost in differential equations, curls, and divergences; this thesis aims to remedy that by exposing them to 3D EM simulation, which may motivate them toward further study in electromagnetics. Also, experience using EMPro is very beneficial for future RF/microwave/antenna engineers, as use of 3D EM simulation is becoming a requirement for this field. 3D EM simulators solve problems where using classical analysis techniques is impractical. Classical EM solutions to simple objects such as boxes, cylinders, and spheres, are widely known; but when the object is more complex, numerical approaches are preferred for their speed. Currently, Cal Poly does not use 3D electromagnetic simulation in any of its courses. Targeted relevant courses include EE 335/375: EM Fields & Transmission Lines, EE 402: EM Waves, EE 405/445: High-Frequency Amplifier Design, EE 425/455: Analog Filter Design, EE 502: Microwave Engineering, and EE 533: Antennas. As a starting point, EE 425/455 was targeted. In choosing which filters to investigate, simplicity and cost were the most important factors. For simplicity, transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode filters were chosen; also, using a trough design for these filters would allow for simple construction and access. Also, a circular waveguide filter was chosen as an alternative to the TEM filters, as the modes are either transverse electric or transverse magnetic. To lower costs, printed circuit board was used to construct the filters, along with brass tubing, semi-rigid coaxial cable, and copper plumbing caps. From these guidelines, three electronic bandpass filter experiments were investigated: a 1 GHz half-wave coaxial resonator filter, a 2 GHz copper end cap filter, and a tunable 1 GHz quarter-wave coaxial resonator filter. Electric and magnetic field coupling was used to excite the filters. They were then simulated using finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations in Agilent EMPro. From the simulations, tradeoffs between insertion loss and bandwidth were observed. After, the filters were built and measured using a network analyzer. The quarter-wave filter was incorporated in Cal Poly’s EE 455 course during spring 2012. Students completed an EMPro tutorial, simulated the filters, and measured them using network analyzers. Student feedback was mixed, and modifications were made for future implementations.

Microwave interferometry (MI) is a Doppler based diagnostic tool used to measure the detonation velocity of explosives, which has applications to explosive safety. The geometry used in existing MI experiments is cylindrical explosives pellets layered in a cylindrical case. It is of interest to Lawrence Livermore National Labs to measure additional geometries that may be overmoded, meaning that the geometries propagate higher-order transverse electromagnetic waves. The goal of my project is to measure and analyze the input reflection from a novel structure and to find a good frequency to use in an experiment using this structure. Two methods of determining a good frequency are applied to the phase of the input reflection. The first method is R2, used to measure the linearity of input reflection phase. The second is a zero-crossing method that measures how periodic the input reflection phase is. Frequencies with R2 values higher than .995 may be usable for an experiment in the novel structure.

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Fabrication process of capacitors and Schottky diodes with nanogap electrodes is explained in this Thesis. The Schottky diode is made with IGZO in the nanogap, whereas the capacitor is made with ZrO2 in the nanogap which acts as the dielectric. Moreover, the electric characterization of both the diode and capacitor was obtained for different frequencies and different diameters. The end result showed that as the frequency increases the diode performance increases, but the capacitance of the capacitors decreases. Also, the barrier height and concentration were obtained using the Mott-Schottky plot for different frequencies. The 10MHz had the highest carrier concentration (5.9E+18cm-3) and barrier height (1V).

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Precise and robust positioning through Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) is instrumental to a wide gamut of modern systems. The integrity of GNSS signals is increasingly compromised by Radio Frequency (RF) interference, presenting a substantial threat to the performance of GNSS receivers. This vulnerability is of particular concern for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), whose critical functionalities depend heavily on reliable GNSS positioning. Given their complex designs and high maneuverability, UAVs present a distinctive and powerful platform for the exploration and mitigation of GNSS RF interference. This work investigates two complementary but related aspects: (i) the detection of internal RF interference with the GNSS receiver and (ii) the localization of external RF interference sources, utilizing the advanced capabilities of UAV platforms. The detection methodology (i) synthesizes insights from existing literature by selecting RF interference detection methods compatible with observables from standard GNSS receivers. It also innovatively employs ideal spectral masks to estimate the impact of interference. In addition, the localization methodology (ii) introduces a novel UAV-centric technique that leverages the characteristics of GNSS antennas and UAV maneuverability. A concept of radiation heatmap has been developed to transform the antenna’s radiation pattern into a heatmap, indicating a possible bearing toward an RF interference source. Subsequently, a concept of triangular intersection is introduced to fuse multiple radiation heatmaps into a single localization heatmap, indicating the locations of interfering transmitters. Through this work, a comprehensive framework has been established, allowing UAVs equipped with GNSS receivers to detect internal interference and localize external RF interference sources. This dual approach contributes significantly to the monitoring of the GNSS spectrum and enhances the performance of GNSS-dependent applications. / Exakt och robust positionering genom Globala Navigationssatellitsystem (GNSS, från engelskans Global Navigation Satellite Systems) är avgörande för en mångfald av moderna system. Integriteten hos GNSS-signaler hotas alltmer av interferens från radiofrekvenser (RF, från engelskans Radio Frequency), vilket utgör ett betydande hot mot prestandan hos GNSS-mottagare. Denna sårbarhet är särskilt bekymmersam för obemannade luftfartyg (UAV, från engelskans Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), vars kritiska funktioner är starkt beroende av tillförlitlig GNSS-positionering. Med tanke på deras komplexa konstruktioner och höga manövrerbarhet utgör UAV:er en distinkt och kraftfull plattform för utforskning och mitigering av GNSS RF-interferens. Detta arbete undersöker två kompletterande men relaterade aspekter: (i) detektion av intern RF-interferens i GNSS-mottagaren och (ii) lokalisering av externa källor till RF-interferens, med användning av avancerade UAVplattformar. Metoden för detektion (i) syntetiserar insikter från befintlig litteratur genom val av metoder för upptäckt av RF-interferens som är kompatibla med observerbar data från standarden för GNSS-mottagare. Den använder dessutom “ideala spektralmasker” (från engelskans “ideal spectral masks”) innovativt för att uppskatta interferensens påverkan. Dessutom introducerar lokaliseringstekniken (ii) en ny UAV-centrerad teknik som utnyttjar egenskaperna hos GNSS-antenner och UAV:ers manövrerbarhet. Ett koncept för strålningsvärmekarta har utvecklats för att omvandla antennens strålningsmönster till en värmekarta, vilket indikerar en möjlig riktning mot en källa till RF-interferens. Därefter introduceras ett koncept för triangulär skärning för att sammanfoga flera strålningsvärmekartor till en enskild lokalisationsvärmekarta, vilket indikerar placeringen av störande sändare. Genom detta arbete har ett omfattande ramverk etablerats, vilket möjliggör för UAV:er utrustade med GNSS-mottagare att upptäcka intern interferens samt lokalisera externa källor till RF-interferens. Denna dubbla strategi bidrar avsevärt till observationen av GNSS-spektrumet och förbättrar prestandan för GNSS-beroende applikationer. / Presné a robustné určovanie polohy pomocou globálnych navigačných satelitných systémov (GNSS, z angl. Global Navigation Satellite System) je kľúčové pre široké spektrum moderných systémov. Integrita signálov GNSS je čoraz viac ohrozovaná vysokofrekvenčnou elektromagnetickou (RF, z angl. Radio Frequency) interferenciou, čo predstavuje významnú hrozbu pre výkonnosť prijímačov GNSS. Táto zraniteľnosť je obzvlášť znepokojujúca pre bezpilotné lietadlá (UAV, z ang. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), ktorých kritické funkcionality sú vo veľkej miere závislé od spoľahlivého určenia polohy. Vzhľadom na ich zložitý dizajn a vysokú manévrovateľnosť, UAV predstavujú výnimočnú a bohatú platformu pre skúmanie a mitigáciu RF interferencie. Táto práca skúma dva komplementárne, ale súvisiace aspekty: (i) detekciu vnútornej RF interferencie s využitím prijímača GNSS a (ii) lokalizáciu zdrojov vonkajšej RF interferencie s využitím pokročilých schopností UAV platformy. Metodika detekcie (i) syntetizuje poznatky z existujúcej literatúry výberom metód detekcie RF interferencie, ktoré sú kompatibilné s pozorovaniami zo štandardných prijímačov GNSS. Taktiež inovatívne využíva ideálne spektrálne masky na odhad vážnosti vplyvu interferencie. Okrem toho, metodika lokalizácie (ii) predstavuje nový prístup zameraný na UAV, využívajúci charakteristiku antén GNSS a manévrovateľnosť UAV. V rámci tejto práce bol vyvinutý koncept radiačnej teplotnej mapy, ktorý transformuje radiačný vzor antény na teplotnú mapu, indikujúcu smer k možnému zdroju RF interferencie. Následne bol predstavený koncept trojuholníkovej priesečnosti, spájajúci viaceré radiačné teplotné mapy do jednej lokalizačnej teplotnej mapy, indikujúcej polohy rušiacich vysielačov. Prostredníctvom tejto práce bol vytvorený komplexný rámec, umožňujúci UAV, ktoré sú vybavené prijímačmi GNSS, detekovať vnútornú interferenciu a lokalizovať zdroje vonkajšej RF interferencie. Tento duálny prístup významne prispieva k možnosti monitorovania GNSS spektra a zvyšovania výkonnosti aplikácií závislých od GNSS.

As Internet of Things (IoT) technology continues to become more commonplace, demand for self-sustainable and low-power networking schemes has increased. Future IoT devices will require a ubiquitous energy source and will need to be capable of low power communication. RF energy can be harvested through ambient or dedicated RF sources to satisfy this energy demand. In addition, these RF signals can be modified to convey information. This thesis surveys a variety of RF energy harvesting methods. A new low complexity energy harvesting system (circuit and antenna) is proposed. Low power communication schemes are examined, and low complexity and efficient transmitter designs are developed that utilize RF backscattering, harmonics, and intermodulation products. These communication schemes operate with minimal power consumption and can be powered solely from harvested RF energy. The RF energy harvester and RF-powered transmitters designs are validated through simulation, prototyping, and measurements. The results are compared to the performance of state-of-the-art devices described in the literature. / Master of Science / Future devices are expected to feature high levels of interconnectivity and have long lifetimes. RF energy from dedicated power beacons or ambient sources, such as Wi-Fi, cellular, DTV, or radio stations can be used to power these devices allowing them to be battery-less. These devices that harvest the RF energy can use that energy to transmit information. This thesis develops various methods to harvest RF energy and use this energy to transmit information as efficiently as possible. The designs are verified through simulation and experimental results.