Beamfocusing Capabilities of a Uniform Linear Array in the Holographic Regime

2025-02-11

AI Summary

This paper addresses the feasibility and efficiency of spatial energy focusing using uniform linear arrays (ULAs) in near-field multi-antenna systems. We establish a theoretical framework based on the dyadic Green’s function channel model and second-order signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) expansion. First, we derive a rigorous analytical criterion for near-field beam focusing with ULAs, proving that the array length must be at least 4.4λ. Second, we obtain a closed-form expression for the feasible focusing distance as a function of elevation angle and precisely characterize its asymptotic feasible region as an ellipsoid. Third, we quantify the dependence of minimum and maximum effective focusing distances on elevation angle, revealing the inherent spatial asymmetry of ULA-based near-field coverage. Our results provide fundamental theoretical bounds and performance benchmarks for array design in holographic near-field communications and wireless power transfer.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Machine Learning: Matrix & Tensor Methods
• Search and Optimization: Local Search

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Energy management for devices in mobile Web and WoT environments
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: On-Device user modeling, personalization, and recommendation

Abstract

The use of multiantenna technologies in the near field offers the possibility of focusing the energy in spatial regions rather than just in angle. The objective of this paper is to provide a formal framework that allows to establish the region in space where this effect can take place and how efficient this focusing can be, assuming that the transmit architecture is a uniform linear array (ULA). A dyadic Green's channel model is adopted, and the amplitude differences between the receiver and each transmit antenna are effectively incorporated in the model. By considering a second-order expansion of the SNR around the intended receiver, a formal criterion is derived in order to establish whether beamfocusing is feasible or not. An analytic description is provided that determines the shape and position of the asymptotic ellipsoid where a minimum SNR is achieved. Further insights are provided by considering the holographic regime, whereby the number of elements of the ULA increase without bound while the distance between adjacent elements converges to zero. This asymptotic framework allows to simplify the analytical form of the beamfocusing feasibility region, which in turn provides some further insights into the shape of the coverage regions depending on the position of the intended receiver. In particular, it is shown that beamfocusing is only possible if the size of the ULA is at least $4.4lambda$ where $lambda$ is the transmission wavelength. Furthermore, a closed form analytical expression is provided that asymptotically determines the maximum distance where beamfocusing is feasible as a function of the elevation angle. In particular, beamfocusing is only feasible when the receiver is located between a minimum and a maximum distance from the array, where these upper and lower distance limits effectively depend on the angle of elevation

Problem

• Establish beamfocusing feasibility in near-field
• Determine SNR-based coverage region shape
• Analyze ULA size impact on beamfocusing

Innovation

• Dyadic Green's channel model
• Second-order SNR expansion
• Holographic regime analysis