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1. Recent Advances in Synthetic Aperture Antennas: Design, Modelling, and Measurement
Guest Editors Ahmet M. Elbir, Sanjeev Sharma, John L. Volakis, Rashaunda Henderson, Levent Sevgi, Fikadu Dagefu
Submission deadline: December 31, 2025
Details of each Special Issue are given below.
2. Distributed Antennas and Near-Field Applications for Future Wireless Systems
Guest Editors Peng Mei, Shuai Zhang, Zhinong Ying, Antonio Clemente, Enrica Martini
Submission deadline: May 31, 2026
Details of each Special Issue are given below.
Recently Closed Calls for Special Issue Papers
Recent Advances in Synthetic Aperture Antennas: Design, Modelling, and Measurement
Phased array systems use analog hardware for directional beamforming, but often lack the angular resolution required in many applications. To overcome this, synthetic or virtual apertures are created by mechanically moving an antenna to collect phase-coherent RF data across spatial locations. This enables high-resolution imaging of electromagnetic scattering and is central to techniques like synthetic aperture radar (SAR), channel sounding, and radiometry. SAR, for instance, leverages platform motion to form a long virtual array for fine azimuth resolution. While much of the literature focuses on SAR signal processing, this special issue emphasizes antenna design and measurement challenges for synthetic apertures—addressing aspects such as sidelobe levels, bandwidth, impedance matching, directivity over varying distances, and scan range.
Synthetic aperture antenna systems have emerged as a cornerstone in modern radar, remote sensing, and imaging technologies, enabling high-resolution spatial information without requiring physically large apertures. This special issue presents a curated collection of recent advances in the design, modeling, and measurement of synthetic aperture antennas, covering both theoretical developments and practical implementations.
With the increasing demand for compact, efficient, and precise antenna systems across a wide range of applications—from earth observation and autonomous navigation to biomedical imaging and wireless communications — researchers are pushing the boundaries of innovation in synthetic aperture techniques. In emerging synthetic aperture imaging applications, coherent phase measurements along the virtual aperture may not always be feasible. For instance, due to size, weight, and power limitations on airborne drones, deploying heterodyne receivers capable of demodulating complex signals and extracting phase information may be challenging. Additionally, at high frequencies, platform vibrations and position uncertainty can make accurate estimation of the received signal's phase impossible. In such scenarios, only magnitude measurements of the electric field at the antenna are available. Traditionally, algorithmic approaches like phase retrieval are employed to iteratively solve an inverse problem, converging to a complex image from initial magnitude measurements. In our special issue, we seek innovative antenna design and measurement campaigns, which are capable of supporting SAR imaging in situations wherein a phaseless synthetic aperture can only provide magnitude measurements of the impinging electric field.
Topics include novel antenna architectures, calibration and alignment strategies, beamforming algorithms, near- and far-field modeling approaches, as well as experimental measurement campaigns leveraging advanced instrumentation. The contributions also highlight progress in integrating synthetic apertures with cutting-edge platforms such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), satellite constellations, and software-defined radios (SDRs). Further, broad topics of this issue are highlighted as:
- Optimization of antenna arrays for synthetic aperture applications
- Synthetic aperture antennas for 5G/6G applications
- Reconfigurable metasurface designs for synthetic apertures
- Ultra-wideband antennas for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and communication
- Metamaterial and reconfigurable antennas for synthetic aperture imaging
- Phased array antennas for synthetic aperture applications
- Beamforming techniques for synthetic aperture antennas
- Compensation of phase and amplitude errors in synthetic aperture systems
- Adaptive algorithms for synthetic aperture measurements
- Machine learning-based calibration techniques for synthetic aperture antennas
- Near-field to far-field transformation in synthetic aperture antennas
- Compact range measurement techniques for synthetic aperture systems
- Time-domain and frequency-domain measurement techniques
- Passive and active SAR antenna architectures
- Multi-frequency and multi-polarization SAR antenna design
- THz antennas for synthetic aperture imaging
- Hybrid RF-optical synthetic aperture systems
- Optical synthetic aperture techniques: Challenges and solutions
- Role of synthetic apertures in 6G and beyond
- Compact and low-power synthetic aperture antenna solutions
- Phase center stability and control for synthetic apertures
- Biosensing applications using synthetic apertures
- UAV-based synthetic aperture systems for remote sensing
- AI/ML-driven synthetic aperture antenna design and analysis
- Quantum synthetic apertures
- Synthetic aperture polarimetry
- Near-field synthetic aperture and imaging
- Channel sounding techniques for massive MIMO communications
- Design/measurement processing of Rydberg sensors for wideband synthetic apertures
- RF domain applications and active/passive beamforming
- Novel imaging and signal processing techniques for phaseless synthetic apertures
This special issue aims to serve as a comprehensive resource for academics, engineers, and practitioners interested in the latest developments shaping the future of synthetic aperture antenna systems.
Data and Code Sharing
All authors are invited to share via IEEE Data Port and IEEE Code Ocean the used data and developed codes to enhance the reproducibility and visibility of the articles published in the Special Issue.
Keywords
- Synthetic Aperture Antennas
- Phaseless Imaging
- Antenna Design and Calibration
- Beamforming and Array Optimization
- SAR and Remote Sensing
- Machine Learning for Antenna Systems
Guest Editors
Ahmet M. Elbir: University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg,
Sanjeev Sharma: IIT (BHU) Varanasi, India,
John L. Volakis: Florida International University, USA,
Rashaunda Henderson: The University of Texas at Dallas, USA,
Levent Sevgi: Istanbul Technical University, Turkey,
Fikadu Dagefu: Army Research Laboratory, USA,
Important Dates
Submission deadline: December 31, 2025
Distributed Antennas and Near-Field Applications for Future Wireless Systems
The rapid evolution of wireless communication technologies, including 6G, satellite networks, and IoT, has heightened the demand for innovative antenna architectures and application transformations. Distributed antenna systems (DAS) and near-field communication techniques are emerging as critical enablers for high-capacity, ultra-reliable, and energy-efficient wireless networks. Distributed antennas enable flexible and scalable wireless coverage with antenna arrays (MIMO antenna arrays) distributed spatially, mitigating path loss and interference issues while enhancing spectral efficiency. Similarly, near-field communication techniques are gaining traction in scenarios requiring precise spatial control, such as ultra-massive MIMO, near-field wireless power transfer, and enhanced security applications. The aspects of energy efficiency and electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure should also be considered in the implementations of DAS and near-field applications to mitigate or reduce the effects of electromagnetic fields on humans and devices, promoting radio-friendly environments. This special issue aims to gather recent advances in DAS, near-field communications, and their applications in next-generation wireless networks. We welcome original research articles covering theoretical advancements, practical implementations, and experimental validations in these areas. The focus will be on novel methodologies, innovative architecture, performance improvements, and real-world deployment challenges. By consolidating innovative research in these fields, this special issue aims to bridge the gap between theoretical models and practical realizations, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Topics of interest: We invite high-quality contributions on topics including, but not limited to:
- Distributed Antenna System (DAS) architectures for 5G and beyond
- Synthesis and optimization tools for near-field distributed antenna systems
- Efficient DAS connection methods between antennas and central processing units (CPUs), such as radio on fiber, over optical fiber, mm-wave and THz, etc.
- Advanced antennas with enhanced coverage
- Near-field communication and its applications in emerging technologies
- Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) and metasurface-enhanced distributed antennas
- Beamforming and spatial multiplexing techniques in DAS and near-field regimes
- Massive MIMO and cell-free architectures utilizing distributed antennas
- Near-field integrated communication and sensing
- Advanced spatial modulation techniques such as orbit angular momentum in near-field scenarios
- Interference management in distributed and near-field systems
- Artificial intelligence-enabled optimization for DAS and near-field applicationss
- Distributed antenna system MIMO channels, OTA test of massive XMMIMO (Extreme Multiple-Input Multiple Output)
- Distributed antenna system-based sensing and localization
- Distributed antenna system for wireless power transfer
- Distributed antenna system-related standardizations
- Innovative and emerging application scenarios and use cases enabled by distributed antennas or near-field communications, such as imaging, sensing.
- Experimental studies, real-world deployments, and applications of DAS, such as DAS for satellite communications, DAS for swarm mobile systems and UAVs, DAS for communications in complex environments, etc.
- Energy-aware architectures for DAS, low-power implementations of DAS, and EMF-aware deployment strategies for the DAS and near-field applications
- EMF (electromagnetic field) exposure analyses for DAS-based application
Data and Code Sharing
All authors are invited to share via IEEE Data Port and IEEE Code Ocean the used data and developed codes to enhance the reproducibility and visibility of the articles published in the Special Issue.
Keywords
- Distributed antenna system
- Advanced antennas for distributed antenna systems
- Metasurfaces and electromagnetic surfaces
- Near-field applications
- Enhanced coverage
- Spatial multiplexing technique
- Integrated communication and sensing
- Sensing and localization
- Massive MIMO and cell-free architecture
- EMF exposure analyses
Guest Editors
Peng Mei: Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China,
Shuai Zhang (FIEEE): Aalborg University, Denmark,
Zhinong Ying (FIEEE): Yangtze Delta Institute (Huzhou), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, China,
Antonio Clemente: CEA-Leti, France,
Enrica Martini: University of Siena, Italy,
Important Dates
Submission deadline: May 31, 2026