The activities of the Research Unit of Padova focus on methodologies and techniques for the analysis and modelling of the physical phenomena which wireless and wired information transmission is based on for modern telecommunication systems.
Research studies in this field carried out in Padova include the following topics:
Optical Communications: Unit of Padova is involved in research for fiber optics core and access networks in single mode and multimode fibers. Main topics include: fiber characterization, fiber design, fiber and photonic devices (amplifiers etc.)
Research topics include:
- Distributed fiber characterization. Development of technique to characterize local birefringence, coupling and dispersion properties of single and few-mode fibers.
- Spatial division multiplexing. Modelling and experimental characterization of mode coupling in few-mode fibers. Study of spin effect on few-mode fibers. Study of nonlinear effects (parametric, Raman and Brillouin amplification) in few-mode fibers.
- Passive optical networks. Monitoring of passive optical network integrity through backscattering techniques. Design and simulation of low cost optical modulators (RSOAs) for direct and coherent detection. 5G front- and back-hauling through fiber optics systems.
- Nonlinear amplifiers and phenomena. Simulation and experimental characterization of nonlinear phenomena (parametric, Raman and Brillouin) in optical fibers and photonic crystal waveguides. Applications in amplification and sensing.
link: http://peg.dei.unipd.it/index.php?section=123
Optical Fiber Sensors: Unit of Padova is involved in the field of optical fiber sensors. Its main focus are Rayleigh-based distributed sensors, for applications ranging from environmental and structural health monitoring to current/magnetic fields and cryogenic temperature measurements.
Research topics include:
- Distributed polarization measurements. Development and implementation of distributed techniques to measure accumulation of Faraday rotation along an optical fiber; this enables distributed measurement of electric current and vector mapping of high magnetic fields.
- Distributed acoustic sensing. Implementation of cost-effective distributed acoustic sensors for debris flows monitoring and oil and gas industry.
- Pressure and strain monitoring. Distributed and quasi-distributed pressure and strain monitoring fiber optic sensor for dikes monitoring. Study of optical fiber sensors embedded in composite materials for structural health monitoring.
- Monitoring of superconducting links and magnets (in collaboration with CERN and University of Sannio). Application of distributed optical fiber sensors to the monitoring of temperature and strain in superconducting links and magnets.
link: http://peg.dei.unipd.it/index.php?section=135
Antenna Design: The research activity at Unit of Padova mainly consists of Computer Aided Design of innovative antennas for wireless communication.
Research topics include:
- Planar antennas for wireless applications. Study and design of novel, planar, miniaturized multi-band antennas for wireless LAN applications.
- UltraWideband MIMO Antennas. Development, prototyping on Roger TMM4 laminates and characterization of ultra-compact, diversity antennas for MIMO applications.
- Self-Adapting Conformal Antennas. Development of new techniques in order to compensate for surface deformation of conformal antenna arrays. Prototyping and characterization is carried out in cooperation with North Dakota University.