Profile

The field of microwave electronics was established in 2009 from the 1984 field radio frequency technology / microwave technology. It is equipped with modern equipment with regard to construction and measurement technique very well. Both in research and teaching in the current issues on device, circuit and system level, with applications in communications and sensor technology and measurement and medical processes. For the design of microwave circuits and components are powerful software tools available. The Department maintains good contacts with several industrial partners, research institutions and universities in Germany and Europe.

At the Department of Microwave electronics in average about 10 employees are employed, which are funded by provincial authorities, outside funding or grants. Added an average of 5-10 students who work as part of auxiliary contracts or study or thesis at the department.

For the research to be undertaken, the Department of Microwave Electronics is excellently equipped. For the design, fabrication and characterization very powerful instruments are available.

The Department of Microwaveelectronics (Mikrowellenelektronik, MICEL) was established as High Frequency Engineering (Hochfrequenztechnik, HFT) of the University of Kassel  in 1984. The research activities mainly involve the characterisation, modelling and simulation of nonlinear electronic and optoelectronic devices for ultra-fast and microwave applications as well as the circuit design and fabrication of components for telecommunication and sensor systems. The objective is a reliable circuit design of electronic and opto-electronic components for applications in the microwave- and millimeterwave region using accurate measurement- and physics-based nonlinear equivalent models of microwave devices. The following subareas are of permanent interest:

Measurement Techniques: Investigation of measurement concepts for the reliable device characterisation, i.e. precise error-corrected S-parameter measurement using frequency- and time-domain techniques (small-signal-, waveform-, and pulse-measurement).

Device Modelling: Derivation of small- and large-signal device models, for different device technologies, for the device analysis and circuit design purposes, also covering different microwave devices such as FETs, HBTs, semiconductor lasers, and photodiodes.

Verification: Model verification from large-signal waveform measurements on the device and component level (power amplifier, low-noise amplifier, harmonic oscillator, mixer, optoelectronic receiver, high-power semiconductor laser transmitter).
Development of broadband antennas, fast pulse generator, and pulse amplifier for ultra wideband (UWB) microwave radar systems.

Circuit Design: Components for telecommunication systems (in particular power amplifier design for UMTS basestations) and sensors (near-field microwave- and laser-ranging).

System Design: Autonomous near-field laser impulse radar (LIR) system for precise 3-dimensional contour mapping.
Autonomous near-field microwave impulse radar (MIR) system for precise ranging.
System Design: Autonome Nahfeld-Laser-Impuls-Radar (LIR)-Systems für präzises 3-dimensionales Kontur-Mapping.
Autonome Nahfeld-Mikrowellen-Impuls-Radar (MIR)-Systems zur präzisen Abstandsmessung.