The Antennas and Propagation Lab (APL), founded in 2004, is a leading group in research and development in the field of antennas and radio wave propagation. It is recognized worldwide for its leadership in Gap Waveguide technology, having played a key role in its development and implementation. Additionally, the APL is renowned for its research on Characteristic Modes, being a pioneer in defining and applying these modes for efficient antenna and communication system design.
Another key research line is the measurement, characterization, and modeling of radio wave propagation, with applications in the development of propagation models for the design and deployment of radio systems, cellular networks (5G-6G), vehicular systems (V2X), MIMO, UWB, and millimeter waves.
The APL is composed of 11 faculty members (6 full professors and 5 associate professors), 1 lab technician, 2 postdoctoral researchers, 8 PhD students, and 2 visiting professors. The group maintains strong collaborations with other research groups within the UPV, such as the Microwave Applications Group (GAM) at iTEAM, as well as with prestigious universities like the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, and Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. It also has partners on three continents, including Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), University of Oulu (Finland), Georgia Tech (USA), New York University (USA), and Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (China).
The APL also collaborates closely with industry, having participated in projects with leading companies such as Tampa Microwave, Rielec, Aitex, Indra, Thales Alenia Space, Ericsson, Huawei, and Airbus, as well as in initiatives from the ARTES program of the European Space Agency. The results obtained from these projects have been outstanding, leading to contract renewals and the prospect of future collaborations.
The lab is equipped with cutting-edge facilities, including an anechoic chamber with measurement capabilities up to 67 GHz, a Datron CNC milling machine, an Ultimaker 3D printer, Voltera V-One conductive ink printers, as well as state-of-the-art network and spectrum analyzers. Together with GAM, APL manages a Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) lab, equipped for via/cavity punching, screen printing, photolithography, isostatic lamination, sintering, and post-processing of devices, offering custom manufacturing services, research, and consulting.
Moreover, APL members are active in international associations such as the European Association on Antennas and Propagation (EuRAAP) and the IEEE, where they hold leadership positions in both management and the organization of key industry events.