The Group of Electromagnetism of the University of Granada, from the department of Electromagnetism and Matter Physics, has been doing research for several years on the applications of fractal technology to radio-communication systems.
Specifically, in the design of antennas by means of numeric formulas applied to describe certain complex geometries. Their work has managed to develop small-sized antennas in a research work honoured by the Information Society and Media, an organism of the European Union (UE), in the list of “Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)”. Such institution has recognized the initiative of Granada as one of the projects with a higher technological impact (OPEN Impact Assessment) among more than 400 financed by the EU all over Europe between 1994 and 2004.
A fractal object is made up by infinite geometrical forms, equal to the object in a different scale. It is a very common constant in nature and allows to make use of the geometry of the fractal object for researchers to determine the properties they want to define, such as the different sizes of the antenna.
Usually, antennas work with a narrow frequency margin and, in this sense, fractal design allows to work with different wavelengths.
International recognition
Rafael Gómez Martín, professor of the UGR and responsible for this research work, points out the “enormous international repercussion” of this project, as the Group of Electromagnetism of the UGR “has established the bases to optimize the design of small-sized antennas, mainly used in mobile telephony”. This work has been developed in collaboration with the Universities of Barcelona, Sapienza di Roma and Polytechnic University of Lausanne (Switzerland).
The researchers of the UGR have also carried out several works based on wave interaction with different objects and bodies, which have also received international scientific recognition.
In this sense, it is possible to highlight the project for breast cancer detection through microwaves (carried out together with the US University of Wisconsin-Madison), or the use of electromagnetic waves to obtain a detailed image of the subsoil and determine the ideal areas for marble extraction, in collaboration with the Marble Technological Centre of Murcia.
Reference
Prof Rafael Gómez Martín. Dpt Electromagnetism and Matter Physics
Phone numbers: 958 243 224 / 958 243 223. E-mail. rgomez@ugr.es
