Radiation Pattern Engineering using Metasurface Antennas for avoiding Physical Obstacles in non-LOS 5G Wireless Networks

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Extrapolating from current market trends of rising financial growth in mobile technology with a 1000x increasein data capacity, it is predicted that the next generation 5G wireless networks are expected to be deployed inCanada between 2020/2030. To support such massive demands, wireless industry is making a rapid transitionto mm-wave technologies, particularly compatible with IEEE 801.11ad at 60 GHz, to exploit large spectrumsavailable in these bands. However, there are several engineering challenges in implementing efficient wirelesssystems at mm-waves, which include strong wave absorption in these bands, lack of channel diversity due todirective beam propagation (less diffraction) and scarcity of Line-of-Sight (LOS) channels in typical indoor andoutdoor environments. While the LOS wireless communication techniques are more established, achievinghigh data throughput in the presence of physical obstacles is a more practical and an open problem. Thesechallenges are addressed in this project in collaboration with Montreal based Kaytus TechnologiesIncorporation (KTI), which specializes in radio resource management and deployment of wireless networks.The specific objectives of this project is to design mm-wave antennas at 60 GHz with engineerable radiationpatterns, thereby producing multi-beam radiation along specified directions, which increase channel diversityand may avoid physical obstacles between the communicating devices under non-LOS conditions. Theseradiators will be based on the concept of metasurface antennas, and to be implemented using 2D slot arrays.Demonstration of these antennas is seen as the first step in demonstrating a complete wireless system whichcan provide multi-Gigabits data throughput in a non-LOS communication, and is thus instrumental in thesuccessful deployment of 5G networks in dense urban environments. The project will further help KTI expandtheir line of services and products to better radio resource management in the mm-wave bands, and will be astepping stone in developing novel reconfigurable antenna solutions for next generation 5G networks.