CAREER: Agile, Adaptable, and ScalableWireless Terahertz Networks: Architecture and Control

使用100 GHz以上的频率，即太赫兹（THz）频段，正在成为未来（超过5G）无线系统的公认范例之一，必须满足完全不同的新应用，如自主和连接的机器人系统、虚拟现实和扩展现实。对超高速移动和无线系统的需求促使美国联邦通信委员会（FCC）开放了四个超过95千兆赫的免许可频段，总带宽为21.2千兆赫。这些频带为超高速数据传输提供了充足的带宽。然而，大多数现有的努力都涉及在回程和固定接入中实现太赫兹连接。事实上，不同的传播特性、宽带宽、方向性和缺乏实时适应使今天的太赫兹无线技术无法轻松扩展和支持移动用户。该项目将解决移动太赫兹通信和传感的基本障碍。特别是，该项目将为下一代通信系统设计和构建实用的、可扩展的移动太赫兹无线技术。在这些频段开发新知识对于为美国在6G领域的领导地位奠定基础具有重要的战略意义，并对科学和经济竞争力产生影响。该项目还通过开发新课程、帮助培训代表性不足的少数民族、与高中生接触以及扩大太赫兹试验台的使用范围，促进教育和多样性。该提案将通过全新的跨层架构和控制平面设计实现灵活、适应性强和可扩展的无线太赫兹网络。拟议的研究包括三个相互连接的推力：(i)它将为创建和控制定制3D定向光束提供基础构建块，以克服高路径损耗。它引入了首个多狭缝天线结构，通过耦合频率、转向角度和狭缝几何形状的独特特性来电子引导太赫兹波束。（ii）其目标是通过展示具有多功能独立控制平面功能的架构，包括路径跟踪和太赫兹链路诊断，即使在存在节点和环境移动性的情况下，也能提供不间断的定向通信。它将引进100千兆赫以上联合传感和通信的变革能力。即，重新利用从所提出的多缝天线结构发射的宽带数据调制信号来推断接收机和周围物体在介质中的位置。这些能力可以为下一代网络的设计开辟全新的可能性领域。提议的研究将通过广泛的实验、原型设计和系统实施来评估。研究结果将通过与业界和顶级研究机构的出版物密切合作进行传播。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The use of frequencies above 100 GHz, i.e., Terahertz (THz) bands, is emerging as one of the accepted paradigms for future (beyond 5G) wireless systems that must cater to radically different new applications, such as autonomous and connected robotic systems, virtual reality, and extended reality. The demand for ultra-fast mobile and wireless systems has led the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to open four unlicensed bands above 95 GHz with a total of 21.2 GHz of bandwidth. These bands offer plentiful bandwidth for ultra-high-speed data transmission. However, most existing efforts involve enabling THz connectivity in the backhaul and fixed access. Indeed, different propagation characteristics, wide bandwidth, directionality, and lack of real-time adaptation prevent today’s THz wireless technologies to easily scale up and to support mobile users. This project will tackle the fundamental barriers of mobile THz communication and sensing. In particular, the project will design and build practical, scalable, mobile THz wireless technologies for next-generation communications systems. Developing new knowledge in these bands is strategically important for setting the stage for U.S. leadership in 6G and has implications for scientific and economic competitiveness. This project also advances education and diversity through developing new curricula, contributing to the training of underrepresented minorities, engaging with high-school students, and broadening access to THz testbeds. The proposal will enable agile, adaptable, and scalable wireless terahertz networks via a fundamentally new cross-layer architecture and control plane design. The proposed research includes three inter-connected thrusts: (i) It will provide an underlying building block for creating and steering custom 3D directional beams to overcome the high path loss. It introduces a first-of-its-kind multi-slit antenna structure to electronically steer a THz beam via the unique property of coupling frequency, steering angle, and slit geometry. (ii) It aims to provide uninterrupted directional communication even in the presence of nodal and environmental mobility through demonstrating an architecture with versatile stand-alone control-plane functions, including path tracking and THz link diagnostics. (iii) It will introduce transformational capabilities for joint sensing and communication above 100 GHz. Namely, repurposing a wideband data-modulated signal emitted from the proposed multi-slit antenna architecture to infer the location of the receiver and the surrounding objects in the medium. These capabilities can open up entirely new realms of possibility for the design of next-generation networks. The proposed research will be evaluated through extensive experimentation, prototype design, and system implementation. The results will be disseminated through close collaboration with industry and publications in top research venues.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.