Thriebeam

Thriebeam is a beamforming technique that uses three synchronized beams to generate a composite radiation field. The approach seeks to improve angular resolution, control sidelobe levels, and enhance robustness to interference and multipath in both wireless and optical systems.

Practically, thriebeam employs a tri-channel emitter array or a three-path optical/RF setup. Each channel is phase- and amplitude-controlled, and the three beams are electronically steered and coherently combined in the receiver or target plane. By adjusting relative phases and amplitudes, the system can reinforce the central lobe while shaping sidelobes, achieving a narrower main lobe and reduced interference.

Applications include wireless communications (cellular and satellite links), radar and automotive sensing, LIDAR and optical imaging, and certain medical ultrasound configurations. It is particularly beneficial in environments with strong multipath or dynamic blockage, where a single beam may underperform.

Advantages include improved directivity and resolution, better interference suppression, and potential resilience to blockage through redundant beams. Limitations involve increased hardware complexity, stricter synchronization and calibration requirements, greater power consumption, and sensitivity to channel mismatches.

Development has appeared in engineering literature since the early 2020s as a specialization of multi-beam and phased-array concepts. Proponents emphasize its relation to coherent beam combining and multi-path diversity, while critics note practical challenges in calibration, cost, and scalability for large deployments.