Traceability for electrical measurements at millimetre-wave and terahertz frequencies for communications and electronics technologies

Future transformative technologies such as connected and autonomous vehicles will likely depend on 5G networks, cellular IoT and other digital devices operating at very high frequencies. Development is hampered, however, by a lack of traceability to the SI for some key electrical parameters. Traceability is not available for power meters; extender heads and calibration kits for vector network analysers to measure S-parameters (that quantifies loss and phase change for transmitted and reflected signals); and material characterisation kits for measuring complex material properties.

The project will establish traceability to the SI for measuring S-parameter, power and complex permittivity of dielectric materials, at terahertz frequencies. Traceability and verification techniques will be developed, contributions made to international standards bodies, and developments promoted to NMIs – to facilitate coordinated measurement capabilities. Exploiting this part of the spectrum will result in improved product quality and end-user confidence in the communications and electronics industries, and competitive advantage for European Industry.