Keynote: Breakthrough Military Applications of mmWave Technology

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Overview:
The worldwide availability and proliferation of inexpensive, high power commercial amplifiers and sources have made the electromagnetic spectrum crowded and contested in the RF and microwave regions. The wealth of technical advantages offered by operating at higher frequencies, most notably the wide bandwidths available, are pushing both commercial and DoD systems into the millimeter wave (mmWave) region and beyond. However, operation at these higher frequencies poses significant challenges as the available power from electronic devices decreases as operating frequency increases. The decreasing available device power is compounded by increasing atmospheric attenuation in the mmWave region of the spectrum. The DARPA mission is to create breakthrough technologies for national security. In pursuit of this mission, DARPA programs have created innovative new mmWave solid-state and vacuum electronic amplifiers with unprecedented bandwidth and power, and have demonstrated their utility in relevant communication and sensing applications. This talk will review some of these breakthrough programs and describe the path forward for mmWave technologies and applications.

Dev PalmerSpeaker: Dr. Dev Palmer
Dr. Dev Palmer is a Program Manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Microsystems Technology Office, responsible for a portfolio of research projects focused on creating the innovations in communications and sensing that will drive the next generation of DoD systems. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a Member-at-large of the US National Committee of the International Union of Radio Science (USNC-URSI). His success in guiding research and technology transition has led to his selection for the Army Research Laboratory Award for Program Management in 2010, the Army Superior Civilian Service Medal in 2011, and the Secretary of Defense Award for Excellence in 2013.