Innovative Solutions for Future 5G Ultra High Speed Wireless Networks: the Millimeter Wave Interferometric Approach

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In the just past year, preliminary interest and discussions about a possible 5G standard have captured the attention and imagination of researchers and engineers around the world. Wireless data traffic is projected to increase 10,000 times within the next 20 years. To tackle this incredible wireless data traffic, a first approach is to further improve spectrally efficient systems such as 4G LTE in bands below 6 GHz by using more advanced spectral efficiency techniques. However, fundamental limits on hardware implementation and channel conditions may limit the viability of this conventional option. The second approach is to move up in frequency, into an unused non-traditional spectrum, the millimeter-waves (mm-waves), where enormous bandwidths are available. This new option enables the use of large bandwidths (e.g. 2 GHz) with simpler low-cost modulation techniques to achieve high data-rates (several Gb/s), rather than relying on highly complex techniques, originally aimed at achieving a high spectral efficiency with smaller bandwidths. Currently 57-64 GHz, 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz, and 92-95 GHz bands are available for wireless communications. The proposed project will take advantage of our research team's strong expertise in both mm-wave and signal processing techniques. Research efforts will be oriented towards the design of new mm-wave transceiver architectures, having an inherent wideband, prototype transceiver fabrication using integrated planar technologies (employing innovative mm-wave components, such as intelligent antennas and multi-port interferometers), and specific performance measurements of wireless links. The new knowledge that will emerge from this project and the training of highly qualified personnel associated to the different stages of this work will certainly contribute to enhance Canada's global competitiveness in this high-technology sector.