In the field, the United States Army relies on fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks for secure communications, equipment tracking, and real-time health monitoring. 5G networks are also essential for the coordination of unmanned aerial vehicles with broader military operations. Current 5G technologies, however, are difficult and costly to set up, transport, and operate on the move.
Jonathan Chisum, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, has spent nearly a decade researching the fundamental science of a new, low-power antenna that could change the rules of wireless connectivity. Chisum’s antenna delivers wideband 5G connectivity while consuming a fraction of the power supplied to traditional antennas, and combines the many redundant antennas from each frequency band into one wideband antenna.
“Our wideband solution is an essential building block for mobile, agile, and resilient networks, enabling the Army to deploy 5G networks globally over varied regional frequency allocations,” said Chisum, an affiliate of Notre Dame's Wireless Institute and Notre Dame Nanoscience and Technology. “Consolidating multiple dedicated antennas into one compact and wideband antenna drastically reduces cost, complexity, and weight. And because we replace expensive, power-hungry beam-scanning electronics with an optically-inspired metamaterial lens antenna, the system draws minimal power, making it a perfect fit for mobile command posts.”