Enhancing mmWave Devices with Custom Lenses

The demand for higher data rates and stability in wireless communications is increasing steadily. The mmWave band offers higher bandwidths and therefore increased data rates compared to sub-6 GHz bands, however drawbacks such as limited range and vulnerability to blockage remain a challenge. In this paper, we take off-the-shelf mmWave devices in the 60GHz band and combine them with self-developed lenses. The results show a focused beam in one dimension, while offering full coverage in the other, resulting in increased ranges with constant, high data rates. This allows applications for industrial communication or wireless backhaul networks and use cases such as platooning with autonomous vehicles.