Subramanyam’s group has received $780,000 so far for the project and could receive another $320,000 if it advances to the third and final phase, UD said.
As the radio frequency spectrum expands, radio receivers are exposed to more signals simultaneously. The DARPA Wideband Adaptive RF Protection program seeks to protect wideband receivers against external and self-interference.
“Eleven teams, which include some of the nation’s leading defense companies, participated in Phase I, and just a few advanced to Phase II,” Subramanyam, a professor in electrical and computer engineering, said in a statement from the university.
The research project includes Lockheed Martin, Indiana Microelectronics, 3D Glass Solutions and Tyndall Institute, UD said.
The technology Subramanyam’s group is looking to perfect is a variable capacitor (called a “varactor”) made of a thin, ceramic film that is less expensive, uses less power and has better tuning than most semiconductor-based devices, according to UD.
Originally developed to cut the number of filters used to sort frequencies in cell phones, TVs and satellite communication systems, the varactors have evolved to support rapid reconfiguration of radio frequency and microwave sensors conducting simultaneous operations, UD said.
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