Millimeter-wave Channel Sounding Technique Using Oversized Lens–loaded Cavity

This paper briefly summarizes an ongoing investigation on millimetre-wave (mmWave) channel sounding using a low complexity single RF chain mode mixing lens–loaded cavity. The main advantage of using the mode–mixing technique is to be able to process the information required to estimate the direction-of-arrival (DoA) of the incoming signal just by reading the signal at the single RF–chain output. This massively reduces the system complexity compared to a standard N–element array antenna that requires around N times RF chains. Specifically, this paper presents a way by which signal directivity towards the coverage area can be enhanced by placing a lens in–front of an oversized cavity. This provides an extra channel gain to the incoming wave, consequently enhancing the DoA estimation resolution. This ongoing investigation can substantially simplify the physical hardware layer of the mmWave channel sounder, offering a great potential for the forthcoming mmWave 5G.