RF research / antennas and microwave structures
Jun - Jul 2026LAPLACE Laboratory / Anywaves
Research intern - RF antenna characterisation
Identification
- Role
- Research intern, RF antenna characterisation
- Laboratory
- LAPLACE (plasma and energy conversion), INP Toulouse
- Collaboration
- Anywaves, satellite antenna manufacturer, Toulouse
- Period
- Jun - Jul 2026
- Domain
- Antennas, microwave structures, electromagnetics, instrumentation
- Method
- Analytical model, electromagnetic simulation and physical measurement, correlated
What is measured, and how
- Structures
- Patch antennas, dipoles, arrays, microstrip and coplanar waveguide lines, couplers
- Bench
- Near-field characterisation on an infrared-thermography bench
- Instrument
- Vector network analyser, S-parameters
- Reference
- Ansys HFSS simulation of the same geometry
- Analysis
- Python, field maps, extraction of gain, directivity, beamwidth and side lobes
01
The work
Antenna and microwave structure characterisation as a three-way comparison: analytical model, full-wave simulation and bench measurement, held against each other.
- Antenna characterisationRadiation from patch antennas, dipoles and small arrays, characterised in the near field on an infrared-thermography bench, from which field maps are produced and gain, directivity, beamwidth and side-lobe behaviour are extracted.
- Microwave structuresMicrostrip and coplanar waveguide lines, and couplers, dimensioned analytically and then verified.
- S-parametersVector network analyser measurement of the structures, giving the reflection and transmission behaviour that the simulation has to reproduce.
- CorrelationMeasured S-parameters and field maps compared against the Ansys HFSS model of the same geometry: where they disagree, and why.
- AutomationParameter sweeps and post-processing scripted in Python, with PyAEDT driving the solver so a sweep is reproducible rather than clicked.
02
Toolchain
| Layer | Tools | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Full-wave electromagnetic | Ansys HFSS, openEMS | Antenna and structure modelling, radiation and coupling |
| Quasi-static extraction | Q2D Extractor | Line parameters of microstrip and CPW cross-sections |
| Circuit and line design | Keysight ADS, LineCalc | Matching, couplers, line dimensioning |
| Automation | PyAEDT, Python | Driving the solver, sweeps, post-processing, field maps |
| Board | KiCad | Test structures and fixtures |
| Measurement | VNA, near-field bench | S-parameters, near-field characterisation |
03
Structures and quantities
Structures
Quantities
No measured figure is published; the bench work is in progress and the results belong to the laboratory and to Anywaves.