Communication engineering and high-frequency (RF and microwave) engineering are closely interconnected. As people and machines become increasingly mobile, wired communication—whether electrical or optical—is steadily giving way to wireless technologies. Fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems provide (1) ultra-high data rates of up to 10 Gbit/s, (2) support for an extremely high density of connected devices, with the long-term goal of enabling communication with up to 100 billion mobile devices worldwide, and (3) real-time communication with latencies below one millisecond. Additional key requirements include energy efficiency and data security.

Every communication system has its own specific performance requirements. For example, a simple battery-powered sensor is unlikely to require a data rate of 10 Gbit/s. Likewise, if the sensor measures the temperature in a residential building, real-time communication is unnecessary, as update intervals of several minutes are sufficient for applications such as heating control. However, a large number of such sensors may be deployed within a single building, resulting in a high node density. In this context, the Chair conducts research on innovative concepts and components for smart communication systems, including reconfigurable filters, tunable power amplifiers, and adaptive antenna systems. To realize advanced RF components and systems, both established and emerging technologies are employed, including semiconductor technologies and functional materials.

Beyond communications, high-frequency electromagnetic signals are also well suited for remote sensing applications. In remote sensing, the properties of an object located at a distance from the measurement system are determined using electromagnetic waves. The best-known example is radar technology, which can measure the position and/or velocity of a target. In addition to these conventional parameters, other material properties, such as the dielectric signature or geometric characteristics, can also be determined. These technologies enable a broad range of applications, including RF-based contactless diagnostic and therapeutic systems for medical engineering, wireless sensor networks, mobile communication systems, and radio-based positioning and localization.

In addition to the design and implementation of such systems, material characterization and modeling are of fundamental importance. The Chair therefore conducts research on systems for material characterization and identification. These systems typically rely on established methods such as impedance spectroscopy combined with application-specific sensor and actuator systems. Material modeling and the extraction of model parameters represent only one of many important research activities within these projects.