arXiv subjects

François Sarrazin

Publications and source records attributed to François Sarrazin.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Derivation of the Antenna Contribution to the Reverberation-Chamber $Q$-factor based on Antenna Scattering-Matrix Theory

A radio antenna is primarily designed to convert electromagnetic waves into electrical current and vice versa. However, a part of the incident wavefield is scattered due to structural effects andreflection at the antenna's electrical port. Because the reflected power depends on the load impedance, an antenna can also be referred to as a loaded scatterer. Its interaction with electromagnetic waves is characterized by absorption and scattering cross-sections (ACS and SCS). When immersed in a diffuse field, such as the one generated within a reverberation chamber (RC), the impact of the loaded antenna is determined by averaging these properties over incident angles. Of particular interest is the averaged ACS from which one can derive the antenna contribution to the RC quality factor (Q-factor). Current formulations rely on different power budget analyses which do not account for wave interferences between the ingoing and outgoing fields. Moreover, existing formulations consistently neglect the structural component. In this paper, we introduce a rigorous formulation of the antenna contribution to the RC Q-factor which takes into account the aforementioned effects. The antenna is modeled using the scattering-matrix theory, which linearly links the ingoing and outgoing waves in terms of spherical harmonics expansion. The derived theory is validated using several numerical simulations based on a Method-of-Moment code. The model's ability to retrieve antenna properties from multiple Q-factor estimations in an RC is then demonstrated. All results are compared with existing formulations.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2026

Effect of Adding Wave Diffractors Within Reverberation Chambers on the Frequency Spacing of Adjacent Resonant Modes

This paper takes advantage of a recent method able to extract the characteristics of resonant modes in a metallic enclosure such as a reverberation chamber (RC). The aim here is to analyze, the effect of inserting curvilinear objects within a parallelepiped RC on the chamber performances, particularly from the point of view of the frequency spacing of adjacent resonant modes. Two configurations are compared: one is a parallelepiped RC with added curvilinear diffracting objects, and the other is the same chamber without diffractors but with added absorbers to compensate the decrease of the quality factor. The obtained results exhibit differences that fall within the measurement uncertainties.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2026

Reflecthernet: Exfiltrating 100BASE-TX Ethernet Traffic Using a Retroreflector Hardware Trojan

Electromagnetic eavesdropping is a well-established attack vector for remotely monitoring a target activity, most notably displays, over considerable ranges. Other targets have been considered resistant to such attacks or do not exhibit sufficient electromagnetic leakage for practical exploitation. Radio-frequency retroreflector attacks (RFRA) were developed to enable covert, active monitoring of a target by implanting a minimal hardware Trojan. These implants, typically implemented using discrete components such as transistors or diodes, do not betray their presence by emitting signals themselves; rather, they modulate the electromagnetic reflectivity of the target depending on the probed signal line data. Prior RFRA work has demonstrated their viability against video links and low-speed peripheral interfaces. In this work, we extend the applicability of RFRA to high-speed targets by presenting a successful attack on the 100BASE-TX Ethernet standard. We describe the design and realization of a compact implant capable of recovering the MLT-3 encoded signaling used in Fast Ethernet, as well as a dedicated demodulation and interpretation pipeline that mitigates errors introduced by the radio channel and maximizes the amount of recovered information. Experimental results validate the feasibility of covertly monitoring Fast Ethernet traffic using RF retroreflection and highlight the viability of such attacks for high-speed links.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2026

Backscatter Communication Through Disordered Media Enabled by a Programmable Leaky Cavity

Retrieving information through disordered scattering systems remains a major challenge in wireless communication and sensing due to the severe distortion and attenuation caused by multiple scattering. Here, we demonstrate robust focusing through random media using a leaky cavity made programmable by reconfigurable metasurfaces. We show that the leaky cavity leverages backscattering from the disordered medium to enhance the degree of control over the transmitted field. We achieve an enhancement in focused intensity by an order of magnitude compared to a horn antenna. We further demonstrate robust communication through the medium using low-power amplitude-modulated signals, and finally implement a backscatter communication scheme in which the same cavity illuminates and decodes data from a passive reflectivity-modulating target embedded within the disorder. Our results open new possibilities for reliable communication and sensing in complex environments.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Single-Antenna Non-Line-of-Sight Matrix Imaging via Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces

Modern imaging and sensing in complex environments, ranging from biomedical diagnostics to wireless communication, relies on accurately measuring and then controlling the wave propagation. Conventional approaches demand large arrays of antennas or transducers to reconstruct the full reflection or transmission matrix, enabling advanced protocols such as selective focusing or adaptive wave control. Yet, these arrays are expensive, bulky, and difficult to implement at microwave frequencies. Here, we show that a single transmitting-receiving antenna, when combined with a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), can fully reconstruct the reflection matrix from far-field measurements, effectively transforming the RIS into a programmable synthetic antenna array. This approach allows high-fidelity imaging of complex scenes, selective focusing through clutter, and real-time tracking of moving targets. Our results establish RIS as a versatile, low-cost platform for matrix-based imaging, with broad implications for adaptive wave control, real-time sensing, and imaging in environments previously considered inaccessible.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2025

Detecting and Focusing on a Nonlinear Target in a Complex Medium

Wavefront shaping techniques allow waves to be focused on a diffraction-limited target deep inside disordered media. To identify the target position, a guidestar is required that typically emits a frequency-shifted signal. Here we present a noninvasive matrix approach operating at a single frequency only, based on the variation of the field scattered by a nonlinear target illuminated at two different incident powers. The local perturbation induced by the nonlinearity serves as a guide for identifying optimal incident wavefronts. We demonstrate maximal focusing on electronic devices embedded in chaotic microwave cavities and extend our approach to temporal signals. Finally, we exploit the programmability offered by reconfigurable smart surfaces to enhance the intensity delivered to a nonlinear target. Our results pave the way for deep imaging protocols that use any type of nonlinearity as feedback, requiring only the measurement of a monochromatic scattering matrix.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2023

Advanced Analysis of Radar Cross-Section Measurements in Reverberation Environment

Reverberation chambers (RCs) were recently reported as a low-cost alternative to anechoic chambers (ACs) to perform radar cross-section (RCS) pattern measurements. The method consists of using transmitting and receiving antennas pointing towards a target under test placed on a rotating mast. As a classical RCS characterization, the echo signal is analysed based on two measurements with and without the target in the RC. In the hypothesis of an ideal diffuse field generated in the RC, this signal difference appears as the echo signal hidden in a Gaussian noise. In case of a point-like backscattering target, observing this signal over a given frequency bandwidth allows the identification of the target response as a sinusoidal signal over this bandwidth whose period is related to the antenna-target distance measured from the measurement calibration plane positions. Therefore, the extraction of the magnitude of this sinusoidal signal requires a proper estimation of this distance. Furthermore, a sinusoidal regression processing relies on the approximation of a constant envelope over the selected frequency bandwidth, imposing some restrictions. In this paper, we introduce a two-step method that consists in identifying the most appropriate distance according to the target's orientation before estimating the magnitude of the sinusoidal signal. We highlight improvement of RCS estimation on a point-like back-scattering target compared to the one-step procedure applied so far. In addition, it is shown that the analysis performed regarding the estimated distance provides a physical insight into the position of the equivalent backscattering point.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2021

Antenna Radiation Efficiency Estimation From Backscattering Measurement Performed Within Reverberation Chambers

This paper presents a contactless measurement method for antenna radiation efficiency estimation within reverberation chambers (RCs). This method does not require to connect any analyzer to the antenna under test (AUT). The AUT radiation efficiency is obtained from the differential measurement of the RC composite $Q$-factor estimated for two AUT load conditions, namely an open circuit and a \SI[detect-weight]{50}{\ohm} load. Remotely-controlled RF switches are used in order to keep the setup identical for both measurements. The method is experimentally validated in two RCs of different volumes (1~m$^3$ and 19~m$^3$) with a wideband patch antenna in the 1.8~GHz to 2.8~GHz frequency range. The estimated efficiency is found to be in very good agreement with the one obtained through a conventional invasive RC measurement technique. This new method is suitable for miniature and buried antenna characterization without access to its port.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2021

Diffuse field cross-correlations: scattering theory and electromagnetic experiments

The passive estimation of impulse responses from ambient noise correlations arouses increasing interest in seismology, acoustics, optics and electromagnetism. Assuming the equipartition of the noise field, the cross-correlation function measured with non-invasive receiving probes converges towards the difference of the causal and anti-causal Green's functions. Here, we consider the case when the receiving field probes are antennas which are well coupled to a complex medium -- a scenario of practical relevance in electromagnetism. We propose a general approach based on the scattering matrix formalism to explore the convergence of the cross-correlation function. The analytically derived theoretical results for chaotic systems are confirmed in microwave measurements within a mode-stirred reverberation chamber. This study provides new fundamental insights into the Green's function retrieval technique and paves the way for a new technique to characterize electromagnetic antennas.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗