Special Sections
What is a Special Section?
IEEE OJAP Special Sections constitute collections of articles that focus on particular areas of the AP-S field of interest, in more depth and breadth. Special Sections are created by Associate Editors and Guest Editors, once their proposal is accepted by an IEEE OJAP Editorial Committee. Each Special Section includes an editorial that introduces the collection of (four or more) articles on the topic. Completed Special Sections are grouped together on the IEEE Xplore® digital library.
Who can submit to a Special Section in IEEE OJAP?
Any researcher who is specialized in the Special Section field can submit an article to IEEE OJAP. During article submission on ScholarOne Articles, authors should select the Special Section from the pull-down menu of "Article type" in the first page of the submission process.
New Optimization Strategies for Synthesizing RF, Microwave, mmWave, and Optical Devices
Submission Deadline: May 31, 2025
We invite researchers to contribute original papers that describe emerging optimization approaches that advance the start-of-the-art in electromagnetic (EM) and optical device design. The purpose of this special issue is to publish high-quality research papers addressing recent advances in optimization techniques used for synthesizing RF, microwave, mmWave, metamaterials, and optical devices. The scope of exploration within this special journal cluster encompasses a diverse spectrum of potential topics. These range from genetic algorithms (GAs), particle swarm optimization (PSO), covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy (CMA-ES), derivative-free techniques, gradient-based methods, and beyond. These potential areas of investigation represent just a fraction of the expansive terrain this cluster aims to traverse, inviting contributions that shape the trajectory of powerful optimization algorithms used for synthesizing novel electromagnetic and optical devices.
Metasurface-related structures for wireless energy harvesting and WPT applications
Submission Deadline: October 31, 2025
Advancements in wireless technologies, including IoT, 5G, RFID, and wearables, necessitate the development of efficient electronic devices for remote sensor deployment. Traditional power sources like batteries and wired connections are impractical for long-term use, leading to frequent replacements and raising environmental concerns. Wireless energy harvesting (WEH) or RF energy harvesting (RFEH), along with wireless power transfer (WPT) techniques, have emerged as solutions to these challenges. Antennas are crucial in these systems, converting ambient electromagnetic radiation into usable DC power.
Metamaterials and metasurfaces have introduced groundbreaking concepts in electromagnetics (EM), inspiring new design methodologies for EM devices and systems. Metamaterials can manipulate EM waves in both bulk states and across 2-D surfaces, leading to the development of metasurfaces, which are currently gaining significant attention. A metasurface is an artificial material composed of an array of unit cell structures. Their thin, low-profile, and cost-effective characteristics have facilitated the creation of numerous innovative EM functions and devices, such as metasurface-inspired antennas, metasurface superstrates, and metalenses. Electromagnetic waves propagate differently in a metasurface compared to a homogeneous medium, exhibiting three unique properties: extremely short wavelength, abrupt phase change, and chromatic dispersion. These properties distinguish wave propagation in metasurfaces from that in natural materials and traditional metamaterials. Metasurface-based RFEHs/WEHs have emerged as a promising solution to meet the growing demand for efficient and sustainable energy sources across various applications. These engineered structures, composed of subwavelength meta-atoms, exhibit unique electromagnetic properties that can enhance the performance of RFEH devices.
The ongoing research and development in this field are opening new avenues for the design of advanced EM devices. This special section invites novel and unpublished works on metasurface/metamaterial-related antenna designs for RFEH/WEH and WPT applications.
Artificial Intelligent Technology for Tunable Terahertz and Millimetre-wave Applications
Submission Deadline: January 31, 2025
The millimetre-wave, sub-terahertz (THz) and THz frequency ranges, especially from 30 GHz to 10 THz, are under exponential development for various applications such as antennas, detectors, metamaterials, plasmonic antennas and tunable devices, and is one of the most promising for future wireless communications such as 6G systems. Such arrangements are assumed to be used in both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. For different applications, some specifications such as terabit-per second data rate and everywhere coverage, acceptable reliable communication, low latency with massive connectivity are common challenges. From another point of view, the problem of mm-wave and THz beamforming must also be considered by focusing on the conductive materials used. In modern communication environments, the antenna system generally consists of antenna arrays and reflective/ refracting surfaces. Research activities on these topics require advanced materials with good electrical properties (to create efficient devices) and a high degree of reconfigurability. These challenges motivate, for example, research into graphene or similar 2D materials.
Designing high-performance antennas with tunable structures in THz band communication is a vital role and is excessively challenging due to micrometer dimensions and dielectric materials. Therefore, to overcome these challenges of designing high-performance structures, and considering the high degrees of freedom due to the multidisciplinary aspects, advanced methodologies are required to achieve the desired results. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated its effectiveness as a tool to facilitate the optimization process for the design and optimization of high-dimensional microwave devices.
Electromagnetic Medical Imaging and Sensing based on A Priori Knowledge and Machine Learning
Submission Deadline: January 31, 2025
In recent years, there has been a significant interest in the development and application of electromagnetic medical imaging and sensing (EMIS) techniques. These technologies offer new opportunities for non-invasive diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment in the field of healthcare. It is challenging to develop accurate and robust EMIS algorithms for both sensitive and selective diagnosis, due to the inherently ill-conditioned inverse scattering problems and the low dielectric contrast between healthy and diseased tissues. As such, using space-time-frequency a priori knowledge (APK) and machine learning to improve the performance of EMIS is crucial for practical implementation and clinical deployment of medical systems.
Near-field Antenna Systems for Communications and Sensing
Submission Deadline: January 31, 2025
The current need for wireless systems operating effectively in the near-field region of the radiating device highlights a significant shift in research. Near-field conditions, where standard far-field approximations might fail to provide accurate results, demand a specialized approach to the development of radiating devices and propagation models. These are essential for developing the next generation antennas to meet the stringent requirements of near-field environments in many applications. This special section focuses on the cutting-edge techniques for analyzing, design, and modelling innovative antennas for near-field systems for sensing and next generation communications.
Advances in Antenna Design and Radio Propagation for Integrated Sensing and Communications
Submission Deadline: March 31, 2025
6G vertical services, such as autonomous driving, Industry 4.0, and contactless health monitoring will all require the integration of sensing and communication functions, known as integrated sensing and communications (ISAC), aiming to embed sensing capabilities into base stations and user devices. The development and realization of ISAC in 6G networks require knowledge of radio propagation and duplication of hardware, e.g., antennas and antenna arrays. To this end, the special section aspires to bring together world-leading researchers to share their latest research findings with regard to innovative antenna design and fundamental understanding of radio propagation for ISAC.
Modeling, Analysis, and Design Methods for Embedded Antennas in IoT Wireless Devices
Submission Deadline: 31 December 2024
Accurate, rapid, and easy modeling of IoT devices needs to evolve to support a new generation of wireless engineers designing the entire device, including the antennas and matching circuits, as parts of the complete radiofrequency system. Therefore, the special section seeks advances in modeling and analysis to simplify the process of designing IoT devices that embed small and multiband antennas, in particular taking into account the antenna and the platform.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-based Antenna and Field Measurements
Submission Deadline: 30 June 2024
Innovative strategies are required for the performance verification of large radiotelescope antennas, satellite ground stations, agglomerates of broadcast and cellular base stations, antennas on large platforms such as ships or aircrafts for both radar and telecommunication applications. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are nowadays being exploited as flying source/probe antenna positioners in various innovative indoor, outdoor and in-situ measurements from HF to millimeter-waves. Both near- and far-field strategies are being developed and tested. These topics will be covered in this Special Section with particular reference to measurement approaches and data processing, on board antenna design, RF/UAV hardware setup, positioning strategies and the corresponding accuracy.
Women’s Research in Antennas and Propagation Section (WRAPS)
Submission Deadline: January 31, 2024
The field of antennas and propagation is a rapidly growing field with a wide range of applications, from wireless communications to radar to satellite navigation. However, women are underrepresented in this field. According to the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society, only 10.2% of its members are women. Recognizing the small percentage of women in this field, we would like to highlight the research by female researchers and provide this section as a collection of their papers.
Antenna-Enabled Sensors and Systems
Submission Deadline: 31 January 2024
Antennas have found applications, beyond telecommunications, in enabling electronics through sensing and energy harvesting. To fully leverage these opportunities, such systems require inter-disciplinary expertise ranging from fundamental antennas and propagation research, active antennas with applied microwave technologies along with circuits & systems, advanced materials, to AI and machine learning. For instance, RFID has become the most pervasive antenna-enabled commercial technology and is now being applied in sensing, biomedical, and industrial applications. This OJAP Special Section invites contributions on inter-disciplinary applications with emphasis on antenna-based sensing, RFID, and multi-functional diversity antennas for joint communication, sensing, and/or wireless power transfer. We welcome emerging and well-established, such as RFID and RF power transfer, antenna-enabled technologies highlighting the inter-disciplinary applications with a focus on IoT, healthcare, and industrial applications.
Recent Advances on Absorbers/Rasobers and Their Applications on Antennas and EMC
Submission Deadline: 31 January 2024
Absorbers/rasorbers are kinds of periodic surfaces with versatile capabilities to absorb incoming electromagnetic waves, which have wide applications in defense stealth, scatter cross-section reduction, and electromagnetic interference mitigation. Absorbers aim to reduce the backscattering throughout a certain frequency band, while rasorbers are inserting a transmission band within the absorption band. Rasorbers are also called absorptive frequency selective transmission structures. The transmission band may be replaced by a reflection band, this new structure is termed an absorptive frequency selective reflection structure. One of the main applications of absorbers/rasobers is reducing the scatter cross-section of antennas while the radiation performance of the antennas should still be maintained or even enhanced. This special section aims to bring together leading experts from the fields of engineering, physics, and material science, to share their recent research findings with regard to absorbing materials and their applications in electromagnetic devices. This special section is intended to collect the recent advances in absorbers/rasorbers and their applications on antennas and EMC to present new design approaches or inspire new applications in the field of applied electromagnetics.
Advanced Beam-Forming Antennas for Beyond 5G and 6G
Submission Deadline: 31 December 2023
The beyond 5G and 6G wireless systems are on the verge of transforming into globally connected networks that boast significantly increased data rates, unparalleled spectral efficiency, and unprecedented intelligence levels to support various emerging applications, such as integrated space-air-ground-sea networks, autonomous driving, holographic communications, and virtual reality. These systems rely on underlying high-quality wireless links, where advanced beam-forming antennas are anticipated to play a pivotal role as key enablers. Conventional beam-forming antennas, such as fully digital beam-forming arrays, are often associated with exorbitant costs and energy consumption. To this end, our special section will focus on the cutting-edge science and technologies of beam-forming antennas for beyond 5G and 6G systems, attracting and connecting the world’s foremost researchers and experts and sharing their latest research findings and advancements. This section will tackle several critical and essential challenges to develop high-performing, cost-effective and energy-efficient green beam-forming antenna technologies.
Sub-THz and THz Radio Propagation: Measurements and Characterization
Submission Deadline: 31 January 2023
Due to ramp-up of research towards sixth-generation (6G) cellular mobile systems, there is a high interest on sub-Terahertz (sub-THz) and THz channel measurements and characterization. More specifically, frequency bands from 80 GHz to 300 GHz are of particular interest for the coming years for the research of new radio systems, while the “true” THz bands beyond 300 GHz leave many open research questions as to channel characteristics and feasibility of cellular mobile at the band. Theoretical backgrounds and models for wave propagation and wave-material interaction at THz are characterized by a lack of knowledge and experimental evidence in many aspects. Many research institutes and companies have developed channel sounding systems to complement the lacking knowledge and evidence. There are several ongoing research projects across the globe aiming at the utilization of the above-mentioned frequency bands. Even though there are already many pioneering works on theoretical and measurement-based analysis, radio propagation research at sub-THz and THz is still in its infancy, let alone its applications to cellular link/system design and evaluation. For these reasons, we expect many contributions about novel results and findings on the field; especially on the wave-material/gaseous interactions, measurement data, path loss and statistical and site-specific multipath characteristics, and their use for antenna, link and system evaluation. We also welcome review articles that could describe the state of the art on, e.g., 1) channel sounding technologies, 2) measured propagation parameters at different environment/material/frequency combinations, or 3) propagation channel models, etc.
Submission Deadline: 15 March 2023
This special section aims to bring together leading experts from the fields of engineering, physics, and materials science, to disseminate their research findings with regard to advanced manufacturing and materials, suitable for realising 3D RF/microwave antennas and other electromagnetic devices. This will enable the existing scientific community, to be informed of the state-of-the-art in the available additive fabrication technologies, novel materials for 3D printing such as polymers, ceramics etc., and their combined manufacturing process. The special section aspires to provide an opportunity to showcase new approaches and inspire new applications within the wireless radio and telecommunications domain.
Advances in Antenna Design for Metaverse and Other Modern Smart Mobile Devices
Submission Deadline: 31 December 2022
The world around us is becoming more connected and the design of antennas to meet the needs of emerging metaverse and modern smart mobile devices, i.e., virtual reality (VR), VR controllers, virtual assistants, augmented reality (AR), smartphones, smartwatches, smart rings, and truly wireless earbuds, is becoming more challenging and intricate. In this special section, we focus on recent advances in antenna development for commercial products that connect wirelessly. The industrial design of antennas for wireless connectivity has two components - the first being the definition of the antenna problem to be solved and the second developing the technical designs that can solve that problem. This section will focus on the second component. Contributions are sought for, but not limited to, the following areas: Antenna shaping and miniaturization required for commercial products; Inexpensive and environment-friendly materials, as well as ease of assembly as important considerations during mass production; Multiple frequency bands for different regions or countries leveraged by developing reconfigurable antennas or other techniques; Special arrangements to meet RF exposure standards and regulations, such as specific absorption rate (SAR); Designing multiple antennas for handheld devices and meeting the challenges of limited space and mutual coupling; Tools used in the design process for antennas integrated into the product chassis including characteristic mode analysis (CMA) and fast optimization algorithms.
Antennas for RF Energy Harvesting and Wireless Power Transfer Applications
Submission Deadline: 31 October 2022
Advancements in the field of wireless technologies have led to the development of various wireless technologies such as internet of things (IoT), mobile/handheld, 5G systems, RFID Tags, wearable/portable devices, various low powered sensors, which demand efficient electronic devices for their effective implementation. These technologies involve sensors that are deployed at remote places with the capacity of interacting with each other through wireless media. However, it is difficult to provide endless power to these devices with conventional approaches like by a battery or through wired cables. Also, the lifetime of the battery is limited, so that frequent replacements of the battery are needed. This increases the additional expenditure on the system and may cause environmental pollution. Sometimes, replacing the battery placed at an inaccessible place, becomes impossible. To overcome these limitations, RF energy harvesting (RFEH) and wireless power transfer (WPT) techniques have grabbed significant attention globally. The antenna is an integral part of both RFEH and WPT systems and is used for converting ambient electromagnetic radiation into a usable form of electrical direct current (DC). This special section is accepting novel and unpublished works on antenna technologies or metasurface-based antenna designs for RFEH and/or WPT applications.
Submission Deadline: 31 October 2022
This special topic will cover various design architectures for ultra-wideband and millimeter-wave band (3.1 GHz – 30+ GHz) phased array antennas and the corresponding low-loss, wideband feeding network designs. Topics of interest also include various fabrication technologies such as additive manufacturing/ink-jet printing on flexible and rigid substrates, as well as novel design techniques to reduce mutual coupling and increase gain, bandwidth, beam steering range, etc.
As wireless applications are evolving with an incredible pace, there is a strong need to develop novel approaches and enhanced capabilities for high-throughput communication and wireless power telemetry. Ultra-wideband and millimeter-wave frequency ranges help address the throughput demand by providing higher bandwidth that is much needed for 5G wireless communication and beyond. In recent years, the demand for ultra-wideband/millimeter-wave antennas that are compact, high-gain, and capable of providing reconfigurable multibeam patterns is soaring higher and higher. This is especially relevant for autonomous vehicle applications such as unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) that are being increasingly deployed in surveillance, package delivery, environmental sensing, etc.
Reconfigurable Antennas for Intelligent In-Door 5G Base Station Systems
Submission Deadline: 30 June 2022
Reconfigurable, or adaptive antennas, which are able to smartly adjust their radiation according to their environment, surrounding the end users, have found more and more applications. Phased array antennas are special reconfigurable antennas with beam scanning which are widely used in 5G communications. Antenna tuners have also been widely shipped and employed. This special section encourages submissions focusing on reconfigurable antennas which are designed to enhance our communication experience in in-door and 5G base stations. We especially welcome contributions on innovative antenna designs and antenna concepts related to certain configurations, such as the reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), and pattern reconfigurable small antennas. We also hope to attract review articles which describe the current state of the art.
Surface Wave and Metasurface Electromagnetic Engineering
Submission Deadline: 30 April 2022
Significant interest has re-emerged recently in the study of surface waves and metasurfaces for electromagnetic (EM) wavefront manipulation leading to new modelling techniques and engineering approaches.
Applications range from novel surface-wave antennas, holographic structures, and other leaky-wave antennas to frequency-selective surfaces (FSSs), electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) and other periodic structures, cloaking devices and radar cross-section (RCS) manipulation surfaces and/or bulk volumes as well as other metamaterial-based and metasurface architectures. The possibility to manipulate surface-bound and free-space EM waves for the guidance and control of anomalous reflection, refraction, and transmission has generated a plethora of new research areas. This has brought about many novel applications for modern real-life platforms, new communication systems and devices.
Although the history of EM wavefront engineering spans slightly more than a century, there is a crucial interest in exploring surface-bound and guided-mode EM waves to develop new technological and industrial solutions for different application fields, ranging from RF/microwave and THz frequencies to optical wavelengths. This special call is dedicated to all aspects of EM wavefront engineering, analytical modeling, analysis, and the synthesis of new and exotic surfaces for guided-wave and plane-wave control which have been realized by new planar lenses and volumetric-based holograms for example, as well as the general application of surface electromagnetic engineering and metasurface innovations.
Unconventional Techniques and Applications for Electromagnetic Inverse Problems
Submission Deadline: May 1, 2022
Electromagnetic inverse problems (EIPs) represent a well assessed topic within the Antennas and Propagation society, addressed by a wide range of scientists with multidisciplinary backgrounds and expertise. EIPs are an active area of research due to a rich theory and many relevant applications. For instance, they are relevant to geophysical exploration, medical imaging, antenna diagnostics and synthesis. However, due to ill-posedness of this class of problems, the quest to develop reliable, accurate and effective solution methods is ongoing.
The scope of this Special Section is to collect original contributions related to unconventional techniques and/or applications dealing with electromagnetic inverse problems, as well as comprehensive review articles which describe the current state of the art. More specifically, contributions related to theoretical advances and the development of novel and unconventional solution procedures are encouraged, with emphasis on cutting-edge techniques. A potential example is machine learning and more specifically deep learning-based solution procedures. Other examples can include multi-physics imaging approaches, which combine information extracted from different imaging modalities (such as ultrasound, microwave and magnetic resonance imaging) in order to improve the inversion reliability and resolution. In addition, contributions on unconventional applications, which seek to advantageously apply inverse problems theory for non-standard purposes, are especially welcome. Potential examples include inverse scattering tools as a way to synthesize innovative microwave devices as well as automated techniques in industrial applications. Submitting authors should provide a short justification/explanation in the cover letter in order to emphasize the unconventional aspect of the proposed paper.
Recent Advances in Compact/Integrated Antenna Techniques for 5G Applications
Submission Deadline: 30 June 2022
5G offers tremendous benefits in terms of data speed, latency, efficiency, reliability, capacity and security. It is expected to deliver a new level of flexibility and agility to meet the ever-increasing mobile communication demands of a huge variety of users. The ubiquitous coverage and high-speed data rate of 5G also enables the full potential for the realization of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, from autonomous vehicles to smart cities to implantable electronics. The 5G enabled IoT (5G-IoT) will connect a massive number of IoT devices and make contributions to meet market demand for wireless services with the aim of stimulating new economic and social development.
Antenna designs as the critical technology of all nodes and devices face challenges for the fully widespread deployment of 5G. The antenna’s footprint is a challenging task due to the ever-shrinking size of the electronic modules/devices. Thus, the compact/integrated antenna designs with reasonable performance are highly demanded in the extremely limited space and strong interference scenario. As more frequency bands are deployed for various purposes, antenna techniques that can support multiple frequency bands are desirable for the purpose of reducing the aperture, especially the technology integrating frequency bands with large frequency ratio. Also, antennas bundling multiple functionalities, realizing a multi-function RF element, constitute a challenging but effective approach to fully use the limited footprint and reduce the power consumption. Simultaneously, techniques of antenna-in-package (AiP) in the millimeter-wave frequency band are also encouraged, especially those capable of producing multiple or agilely steering beams to achieve high capacity, high agility, and high integrity in 5G mobile communications. This Special Section also welcomes papers on rectenna techniques for 5G-IoT applications that can be employed to power up the geographically located low power consumption nodes or devices. The integration of rectenna platform and communication module sharing the same space is another challenge, demanding substantial research.
This Special Section focuses on challenges for compact/integrated antenna designs in 5G and related applications. It will serve as a venue for sharing innovative concepts, recent advances, and prospective opportunities of antenna design techniques in 5G applications for researchers from both academia and industry.
Advanced Antenna Technologies for 5G Internet-of-Things Applications
Submission Deadline: 31 December 2021
This special section aims to attract innovative research efforts associated with advanced antenna technologies for the next generation (5G) Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications. Wireless IoT devices are expected to be ubiquitous in the near future. The nature of their applications is expanding along with the rapid development of 5G wireless systems. These wireless IoT applications have the promise to revolutionize many aspects of human life. They are being developed not only in consumer areas like communications, personal entertainment, smart homes, intelligent transportation systems, and smart cities, but also for security and healthcare applications. Evolving 5G IoT systems require cutting-edge antenna technologies to achieve their required performance characteristics. Advances in multi- functional electrically small antennas and rectennas for IoT modules and terminals, millimeter-wave technologies for ultra-high speed communications, wireless power transfer rectennas, antennas for sensing applications, reconfigurable antennas, and high directivity, compact antenna arrays for long distance communications are required. Original research works related to the above topics are especially welcomed and review articles that describe the current state of the art are also highly desired.
Microwave Biomedical Imaging: Innovative Methods and Systems Towards Clinical Applications
Submission Deadline: 30 November 2021
Practical clinical applications require compact, low-cost devices with high degree of system integration along with innovative imaging and sensing methods. This Special Section focuses on the latest advancements in: (i) antennas, sensors and system-level designs of high-frequency systems for biomedical diagnostics, (ii) methods for system calibration and quality control, (iii) novel image-reconstruction algorithms that demonstrate in experiments the image quality and computational efficiency needed in real-life clinical applications, (iv) methods for noise and clutter suppression in imaging and sensing biomedical applications, (v) studies of the sensitivity and specificity of high-frequency electromagnetic systems in biomedical diagnostics, and (vi) studies of the electromagnetic properties of living tissue and related applications in the forward and inverse models of scattering. We also invite contributions reporting experiment-supported and health-related studies exploring multi-physics interactions between electromagnetic, acoustic, and thermal effects in tissue.
Artificial Intelligence Applications in Electromagnetics
Submission Deadline: 1 November 2021
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and methods, among others, include evolutionary algorithms (EAs), machine learning (ML), Ontologies, Artificial Immune Systems, and fuzzy inference system (FIS). Different aspects of the AI have been used in the literature from evolutionary algorithms to knowledge representation using ontologies. Moreover, the current 5G and the future 6G communications systems require new AI techniques and applications. These AI techniques like Nature-Inspired algorithms, Decision Trees, Random Forests, Support Vector Machines, Extreme Learning Machines, Gaussian Processes, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), and Deep Learning Networks (DNNs) are gaining popularity in AP community. Additionally, hybrid combinations of AI and problem specific methods are also emerging. For example, cutting-edge applications like the smart radio environment enabled by Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) can become a reality using AI techniques.
We invite researchers to contribute original papers describing applications and experiences on the emerging trends of AI methods for solving and modeling problems in electromagnetics. The purpose of this special section is to publish high-quality research papers as well as review articles addressing recent advances on AI applications in electromagnetics.
Antennas and Array Processing for Physical Layer Wireless Security
Submission Deadline: 31 October 2021
How to ensure communication confidentiality represents a key issue for wireless communication, given the broadcasting nature of the wireless transmission media. It becomes even more challenging, owing to the fast advancement of computing technology and wide proliferation of various Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. Through exploiting the randomness and uniqueness of the channels, physical layer security can help secure the wireless communication confidentiality, thereby representing a promising complementary and/or alternative to conventional mathematical-based encryption techniques. Here the wireless channels include the effects of antennas (arrays) and associated RF fronts and array processing, as well as the reconfigurable intelligent surface that is able to alter the electromagnetic wave propagations.
Physical-layer wireless data transmission security aims to contaminate the analogue signal waveforms such that the useful information signals are masked by high noise levels for eavesdroppers located away from the legitimate recipients. Consequently, the capability to extract information away from the legitimate receivers is fundamentally limited. The waveform manipulation can be achieved using digital signal processing approaches and/or agile analogue RF frontends. For example, the transmitter can synthesize artificial noise in digital baseband to project interference purposely towards eavesdroppers to degrade eavesdropping channels. Alternatively, the transmitter can equip reconfigurable RF frontends to dynamically adapt radiation patterns to scramble waveforms in signal radiation and propagation stages. Another popular technique is key generation and agreement from wireless channels. The common randomness between any two legitimate users can be extracted as possible cryptographic keys. When an eavesdropper is located far away, it experiences uncorrelated channels, and hence cannot observe the same keys.
Despite huge advances made in recent years, it is expected that the advanced antenna systems, including excitation strategy, beamforming strategy, reconfigurability capability, and the tailored array signal processing algorithms will further enhance the security performance. Equally important, this paves the path to address many challenges hindering the practical applications of physical layer wireless security, such as the need for excess computation resources and compromise on energy efficiency, especially in hardware- and energy- constrained systems.
The aim of this Special Section is to solicit original research articles, bringing together researchers and industry professionals to report recent research advances in antennas (and array) enhanced physical-layer security for wireless communication systems. Innovation concepts with experimental validation are especially welcome. We also invite researchers to contribute comprehensive review articles that identify challenges and opportunities for this fast-evolving research area.
2D/3D Material Intelligence for Next Generation Wireless Systems
Submission Deadline: 30 September 2021
Reconfigurable and smart EM devices have a fundamental role in modern telecommunication systems supporting multiple standards and possibly multiple functionalities beyond their standard "information transfer" task, including sensing, powering, and identification. In such a scenario, the possibility to embody intelligence in telecommunication systems at the material level (that is, enabling the material to autonomously react and adapt) is emerging as an opportunity to revolutionize the foundation of telecommunications and EM engineering. Several applicative contexts of this paradigm are already being explored, from distributed "ambient intelligence" for improving communication performance in 6G systems and beyond to enhanced biomedical wearable devices. However, several fundamental questions still need to be addressed to make the concept viable, on the one hand, in terms of the artificial intelligence algorithms and techniques that can be actually made compatible with the available technology, and, on the other hand, on the methodologies and techniques to exploit such additional degrees-of-freedom within the telecommunication system design process (e.g., in terms of propagation models, field manipulation capabilities, and scattering properties). Such aspects actually entail a cross-layer view of the telecommunication system (i.e., from the physical to the system level in an integrated manner) that goes beyond the technological realization of the reconfigurable device and it includes (i) how such a material can be used (what are the objectives that the material must pursue at the system level through its re- configuration at the physical level), and (ii) how the features of the 2D/3D reconfigurable materials affect their modeling, propagation properties, and integration at the system level. The objective of this Special Section is to provide a broad survey on the recent breakthrough research on the above mentioned fields.
Foldable and Physically Reconfigurable Origami Antennas
Call for Selected Papers of the 2020 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting
Submission Deadline: July 31, 2021
Aims & Scope: The IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation (OJAP) will publish a Special Section devoted to the 2020 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting. The Special Section will focus on the emerging topic of foldable and physically reconfigurable antennas. Such antennas morph their shape to adapt and reconfigure their EM performance (e.g., frequency of operation, bandwidth, polarization, beamwidth, pattern shape, etc.). Foldable and physically reconfigurable antennas, such as, origami, kirigami or other antennas provide ultra-compact stowage, deployment ease, reduced weight and multifunctional utility. This Special Section will consist of invited and contributed papers that address challenges on the design, modeling and materials for developing these antennas. As the topic of foldable and physically reconfigurable antennas has recently attracted significant interest from diverse scientific communities, including researchers from material science, mechanical engineering and numerical modeling, this Special Section is a timely contribution. Indeed, deployable, packable and multifunctional systems are important for many applications, including satellite communications, UAVs, CubeSats as well as airborne and spaceborne communication systems. Foldable and physically reconfigurable antennas, particularly origami-based antennas, can provide new capabilities to address the design needs for the aforementioned applications. The goal of this Special Section is to provide leading papers in the growing area of origami and foldable antennas, liquid metal interconnects and junctions, reconfiguration and related mathematics latest advances.
Authors of original research papers related to Foldable and Physically Reconfigurable Antennas presented at the conference are invited to submit expanded versions of their papers to this Special Section. The expanded version requires significantly new technical content and results beyond the conference paper. Every paper will be reviewed in the same manner as regular submissions to this journal.
Body-Friendly Antennas: Emerging Materials, Manufacturing Techniques, and Design Strategies
Submission Deadline: 31 May 2021
Aims & Scope: Driven by the growing integration and miniaturization of wearable wireless sensors, antennas for body area networks are becoming largely adopted in many different contexts, such as heath monitoring, physical wellness, sport, rehabilitation, surgery, ambient assisted living and telemedicine. For this reason, the antenna design requirements are gradually becoming complex, besides application-oriented. Indeed, in addition to the customary electromagnetic optimization, one of the challenges of the modern antenna designer is to fulfill the compatibility between antenna and human body. In this scenario, the introduction of innovative bio-compatible and bio-degradable materials or metamaterials joined to advanced realization techniques and design strategies brings to the definition of novel well-performing “body-friendly” antennas. The new concepts of conformability, flexibility, adaptability, stretchability are mixed with the classical concepts of efficiency, reliability, and robustness with the aim of designing antennas that are both “transparent” for the body and unobtrusive for the daily activities. Conductive fabrics, flexible 3D printed substrates, conductive nanoparticle silver inks, as well as copper, textile tapes and Fusion Deposition Molding (FDM) are just a few examples of innovative materials and techniques that help in realizing comfortable wearable, implantable and epidermal body-friendly antennas. Recently, nanotechnologies have also been used to design small antennas, on-chip antennas, and biodegradable structures (i.e. tattoo antennas) for body area networks.
The aim of this focused Special Section is to join experts all over the world thus stimulating a discussion about this topical scientific challenge. Authors are invited to submit new full research and/or review articles reporting recent advances on body-friendly antennas. In addition to the design, compared analyses and systematic reviews aimed at evaluating both physical and electromagnetic performance of this kind of antennas in real-life contexts are encouraged as well.
Reconfigurable Antennas for Compact Devices
Call for Selected Papers of the 2020 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting
Submission Deadline: 31 May 2021
Aims & Scope: Compact devices, small mobile terminals, personal communication components and IoT applications have become an integral part of our daily life. Designing antennas for such devices and components implies miniaturized size and low energy consumption requirements, which must ensure a constant impedance match at an operating frequency. A solution to overcome mismatch or efficiency drawbacks is to adopt reconfigurable antenna components for these devices. Reconfigurable antennas can exhibit tuning of frequency, radiation pattern reconfiguration, polarization diversity, or a combination of these properties.
The IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation (OJAP) will publish a Special Section devoted to the 2020 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting. The Special Section will discuss novel reconfigurable antenna designs and concepts that are proposed for compact devices, integrated within a plethora of platforms and applications. The topic targeted is timely, of large interest to the community and highly focused to both academia and industry. Authors of original research papers related to Reconfigurable Antennas for Compact Devices presented at the conference are invited to submit expanded versions of their papers to this Special Section. The expanded version requires significantly new technical content and results beyond the conference paper. Every paper will be reviewed in the same manner as regular submissions to this journal.
Electric and Magnetic Coupling for Near-Field Systems
Submission Deadline: 31 March 2021
Wireless applications are quite often characterized by a large physical distance between the transmitting antennas and the receiver antennas or scatterers, so allowing the valuable application of far-field approximations, far-field characteristic parameters and far-field measurement methods. Nonetheless, there is an increasing number of wireless systems where the far-field condition is not met and specific coupling models and ad-hoc antenna design criteria must be necessarily adopted when the optimization of the whole system performance is mandatory. Among the above mentioned near-field applications, spanning from RF to THz frequencies, some of the many are as follows: wireless power transfer, near- field communications, near-field RFID technology, antenna measurements, material sample characterization and non-destructive sensing, chip-to-chip wireless links, biomedical applications, on-body communications, near-field imaging, etc.
In this context, the scope of this Special Section is to collect contributions related to novel electromagnetic coupling models, modern antennas, array synthesis algorithms, accurate equivalent circuits and effective analysis techniques, which are all specifically developed for high-efficiency near-field wireless links.
Theory and Applications of Nano-scale Antennas and Electromagnetics
Submission Deadline: 15 January 2020
Nanotechnology is enabling the development of devices on a scale ranging from one to a few hundred nanometers. At this scale, novel nanomaterials and nanoparticles show new properties and behaviors not observed at the microscopic level. In the future, networks of nano-devices will be a key component of almost every field of our society, with applications in biomedicine, environmental protection, entertainment, and homeland security, and beyond. In order to enable nano-devices to communicate with each other, many fundamental challenges need to be addressed. As the functional devices shrink into nano-scale, design, fabrication and control of the systems impose novel design principles, which greatly differ from that of the macro. Electromagnetic (EM) communication in the Terahertz (THz) band (0.1–10 THz) enabled by grapheme-based plasmonic nano- transceivers and nano-antennas has been suggested as one of the possible approaches for communication among these devices. This special section is dedicated to all aspects of nano-scale communication including transceiver and antenna design in addition to communication and networking solutions, as well as novel paradigm, e.g., Hybrid Molecular/EM communication systems.
Millimeter-wave and Terahertz Antennas for Future Wireless Networks
Submission Deadline: 30 August 2020
Demand of high transmission data rates, low latency, high reliability and interference-free operation for applications ranging from communications to infotainment and positioning to healthcare is ever-increasing. The need is driving the development of wireless networks fostering the exploration of new spectrum. Millimeter-wave (30 to 300 GHz) and Terahertz (0.1 to 10 THz) frequencies are considered as the front-runner enabling technologies for future wireless networks.
Antennas are an integral part of these systems and choice of right antenna is critical to the successful deployment of future wireless networks. Full exploitation of the potentials of Millimetre-wave and Terahertz spectrum, a deep understanding of the antenna design is required. Small wavelength at Millimeter-wave (mm-Wave) and Terahertz (THz) bands allows for miniaturized devices courtesy of compact, high gain antennas. However, the limitation of maintaining reasonable performance in ever-shrinking form-factors and under extreme interference conditions further adds to the complexity of a complicated antenna design process. It solicits novel ideas and innovative solutions for the antenna design.
This Special Section is aimed to provide insight into the Millimetre-wave and Terahertz antenna design considerations fostering novel approaches for the development of efficient, cost-effective, scalable, and reliable antenna solutions for future wireless networks.
Small and Multiband Antennas for Wireless Communications
Submission Deadline: 31 August 2020
Wireless communications is finding its way in all aspects of our daily lives due to the numerous advantages that can be achieved. Wireless connectivity will allow continuous monitoring, tracking and data processing leading to smart decision making and fast response. Thus, we will be having sensors, tracking systems, smart meters/factories/agricultural systems and many other applications. To effectively achieve wireless connectivity and communication, a relevant player is needed that transmits and receives data: the antenna. The objective of the present special section in the IEEE OJAP is to present the latest advances in the field of small and multiband antennas for wireless communications and design challenges on how to face the design of small and multiband antennas in these new scenarios. In particular, the special section wants to attract papers dealing with the latest advances in antenna analysis, synthesis, design, integration on/for complex platforms, novel materials and structures, active antennas and fabrication in the range of 0.5GHz to 6GHz where most of wireless standards including the new IoT one are covered. Also, review papers are welcome.
Computational Intelligence in Antennas and Propagation: Emerging trends and Applications
Submission Deadline: 1 October 2020
Computational Intelligence (CI) tools and methods, among others, include evolutionary algorithms (EAs), machine learning (ML), Artificial Immune Systems, and fuzzy inference system (FIS). The use of CI has an increasing impact to solving complex problems in antennas and propagation (AP). These CI techniques like Nature-Inspired algorithms, Decision Trees, Random Forests, Support Vector Machines, Extreme Learning Machines, Gaussian Processes, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), and Deep Learning Networks (DNNs) are gaining popularity in AP community. Additionally, hybrid combinations of CI and problem specific methods are also emerging.
We invite researchers to contribute original papers describing applications and experiences on the emerging trends of CI methods for solving and modeling problems in antennas and propagation. The purpose of this special section is to publish high-quality research papers as well as review articles addressing recent advances on CI in antennas and propagation.
Filtering Antennas: Advancements and Applications
Submission Deadline: 30 October 2020
With the rapid development of wireless communication, we will access more and more wireless services/applications, which are based on different frequency bands. In order to eliminate the interference amid various services, antennas with tailored performance that outperform conventional antennas are highly desired. This special section will focus on novel filtering antenna technologies, design methods, and potential applications in the industry. Latest research achievements regarding filtering antennas with improved frequency selectivity, bandwidth controllability, multiple-band operation and potential applications in industry are especially encouraged. In addition, review articles about the development of filtering antennas and the state-of-the-art filtering design approaches are also welcome.
Array Design and Robust Array Signal Processing: Advancements, Insights and Applications
Submission Deadline: 31 December 2020
n modern wireless communication and radar applications, large-scale sensor arrays have increasingly been used to improve the performance of a system, enlarge effective aperture and increase the degrees of freedom (DOF) compared to a single antenna, resulting in many benefits, such as spatial resolution enhancement, improved capability of interference rejection and excellent parameter identifiability. In the past decades, numerous studies have been performed for array design and array signal processing, with a multitude of applications in radar, sonar, wireless communications, acoustics, seismology, medical imaging, and radio astronomy, etc.
This special section aims to advance knowledge by antenna array designers and signal processing practitioners. It will include recent research advancements in and applications of array design and robust array signal processing under non-ideal conditions. For real applications, new array design approaches are needed, and robust statistical methods are investigated in order to account for the fact that the postulated models for the data are fulfilled only approximately and not exactly. Novel research results will be presented, offering innovative contributions either from a methodological or an application point of view. Review articles on this topic are also welcome.
Recent Advancements in Liquid Antennas and their Applications
Submission Deadline: 15 January 2021
The objective of this special section is to provide a holistic reference for the latest research in liquid antennas and the other peripheral enabling technologies. The explosive growth of and our increasing reliance on wireless communications necessitate the revolution of mobile communications technologies. It requires fundamental re-thinking and a paradigm shift in the ways mobile devices and communications networks are designed and operated. Liquid antennas, which can provide a dynamic architecture, have received much attention recently with impressive demonstrations with the changing wireless environment, resulting in the technology that could deliver more reliable services for different mobile applications.
In this special section, we encourage submissions which illustrate the working principles with both simulations and experimental validations of the following areas:
- New liquid antenna or array geometries. The proposed designs should demonstrate the agility in different antenna performances metrics, such as operating frequency, radiation pattern, polarization and so on.
- New liquid devices, such as sensors, switches, polarizers, gratings, absorbers, reflectors and nano-sized pumps.
- Materials which enable the operation of liquid antennas in extreme environments, such as temperatures below 0ºC.
- Technologies which support the fabrication of non-conventional antenna shapes, for example 3D printing, micro-fluidic structures, thin-film integration.
- Practical applications of liquid antennas/arrays.
Antennas and Propagation for Emerging Biomedical Applications
Call for Selected Papers of the 2020 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting
Submission Deadline: 31 January 2021
Aims & Scope: The IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation (OJAP) will publish a Special Section devoted to the 2020 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting. Authors of original research papers related to Antennas and Propagation for Emerging Biomedical Applications presented at the conference are invited to submit expanded versions of their papers to this Special Section. The expanded version requires significantly new technical content and results beyond the conference paper. Every paper will be reviewed in the same manner as regular submissions to this journal.
- Papers should be submitted through the journal’s submission site, by selecting the Special Section’s title in the menu for “Manuscript Type”.
- The conference paper should be included with the submission.
- The following note should be added to the footnote on the first page of the paper: “This paper is extended from presentation at the 2020 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting.”
- The Special Section welcomes contributions by all potential authors, including authors outside the conference, that have material well-fitted to the Special Section’s topic.
Direct and Inverse Electromagnetic Scattering Methods
Submission Deadline: 31 January 2021
The study of the electromagnetic scattering is of particular relevance in the frame of several applied disciplines ranging from radar detection to everyday life critical situations, to geophysical or archaeological research, civil engineering, biological imaging, and so on. The deepening of the methods of analysis, both for direct methods, especially in complex environments, and for inverse methods, is of crucial importance in order to have the possibility of a correct interpretation of the sensor data, whenever not only a single object constitutes the target to be revealed, but a rather complicated geometry to be imaged is involved. For instance, one of the most challenging problems is the mapping of targets in several hazardous or emergency situations. The propagation environment may result very heterogeneous, such as in case of rescue from collapsed or destroyed buildings because of an earthquake, or complex in presence of multiple wall and multiple scatterers as in Through-Wall (TWI) or Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) Imaging, or in future communication and/or present innovative systems (like 5G).
Beyond simple target detection, imaging of the scene, even in real time, is required for effective monitoring and the development of accurate and robust methods becomes a challenging and very difficult problem, as for instance to identify concealed targets. Advanced electromagnetic modelling, especially on topics such as propagation in complex media, electromagnetic scattering, numerical methods, antenna design and testing is to be enhanced in order to try to reach effective results in the frame of situations depicted above. Moreover, innovative methods, combining both adequate electromagnetic modelling and mathematical techniques, are required for the solution of inverse scattering problems. Therefore, potential advancement in the use of several techniques ranging from direct to inverse scattering, to communication and information based, and preliminary results about ‘ad hoc’ methods and models are welcome from a large part of the Antennas and Propagation community, focusing mainly on the involved methodologies, with the needed numerical and experimental support.
Recent Advances in Computational Electromagnetics for Emerging Challenges and Applications
Submission Deadline: 28 February 2021
With the development of computational electromagnetics (CEM) methods and high-performance computers, the CEM community has achieved a great number of breakthroughs. However, regarding the emerging realistic applications in engineering designs, many new challenges are arising, e.g. multiscale modeling and simulation for electrically-large objects with fine structures, modeling and simulation of EM scattering and radiation in complex background, large-scale simulation for the problems over 10 billion number of unknowns, CEM models for thin-layer and/or nano-scale structures, multiphysics problems including thermal, electrical, mechanical, and quantum effects, efficient, and fast methods for large-scale three-dimensional packaging, etc.
In this special section, we invite researchers to contribute research or review papers illustrating the progress on the emerging challenges and applications of CEM.