High Performance Millimeter Wave Antennas and Beamforming for Communications and Imaging Applications

运行在 6 GHz 以下的现有无线技术最近提供了使用认知无线电和多天线系统等创新技术的数据密集型系统。然而，这些技术不足以满足未来无线系统不断指数增长的增强数据速率需求。与此同时，毫米波 (mmWave) 频率是未来无线系统的关键支持解决方案之一，并引起了无线社区的浓厚兴趣。它们具有提供更宽带宽的优势，并为无线通信提供额外的频谱。然而，毫米波频段的一个缺点是，由于这些频率的损耗较高，无线电波的传播特性较弱。通过使用定向毫米波阵列可以克服这一挑战，由于波长更小，该阵列可以容纳十倍以上的元件，并且可以提供足够的增益以确保接收器的高信噪比并提高毫米波网络的容量。对于成像系统和雷达应用，毫米波还提供高分辨率和灵敏度。 拟议研究计划的主要目标是通过以下方式显着增强毫米波无线通信和成像系统性能并提高数据速率和容量： 用于波束扫描和采用工程电磁结构的多波束的高增益宽带阵列收发器技术的开发和进步 控制无线信道并减轻不利的毫米波高传播和欧姆损耗；使用受益于模拟和数字波束成形方案的智能天线混合波束成形 (HBF) 网络来消除多径衰落效应。 目的是推进毫米波技术的发展，更好地理解不同组件的特性，从而提高系统性能。拟议的主要研究重点包括研究和开发毫米波高增益宽带天线元件、电路、可重构天线阵列和覆盖多个毫米波频段的HBF，以服务于采用新兴工程电磁表面技术的下一代无线通信和成像应用。它还解决了与毫米波天线和 HBF 实施相关的挑战，以及如何测量、评估和改进其性能。此外，还将应用与所提出的 HBF 结构相关的信号处理技术。将执行严格的建模、测试和实施。该计划的共同主题是学习、培训和开发新兴毫米波无线通信和成像系统的专业知识。 拟议的研究将在本科生、硕士生和博士生以及 PDF 的培训中发挥关键作用，不仅可以建立 5G 及以上毫米波技术的不同水平的专业知识，还可以接触无线通信和传感科学。

Existing wireless technologies operating below 6 GHz have recently offered data intensive systems using innovative techniques including cognitive radio and multiple antenna systems. However, these techniques are not sufficient to address the ever exponential increase of enhanced data rate needs for future wireless systems. In the meantime, millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies are one key enabling solution for future wireless systems and have attracted a strong interest within the wireless community. They offer the advantage of availability of much wider bandwidth and provide additional spectrum for wireless communications. However, one disadvantage is the weaker propagation characteristics of radio waves at mmWave bands due to high losses at these frequencies. Such a challenge can be overcome by using directive mmWave arrays that can house ten times more elements, due to smaller wavelength and can provide enough gain to ensure high signal to noise ratio at the receiver and boost the capacity of mmWave networks. For imaging systems and radars applications, mmWaves also offer high resolution and sensitivity. The main objective of the proposed research program is to significantly enhance mmWave wireless communication and imaging systems performance and improve both the data rate and capacity through: development and advancement of high gain broadband array transceiver technology for beam scanning and multi-beam employing engineered electromagnetic structures controlling the wireless channel and mitigating the unfavorable mmWave high propagation and ohmic losses; and multipath fading effect using smart antenna hybrid beamforming (HBF) networks that benefit from both analog and digital beamforming schemes. The aim is to advance the state of the art in mmWave technology and develop better understanding of different components' characteristics leading to improved system performance. The proposed main research thrusts include investigation and development of mmWave high gain broadband antenna elements, circuits, reconfigurable antenna arrays, and HBF that cover multiple mmWave frequency bands to serve next generation wireless communication and imaging applications employing emerging engineered electromagnetic surface technology. It also addresses challenges associated with implementation of mmWave antennas and HBF, and how their performance can be measured, assessed and improved. In addition, signal processing techniques pertinent to the proposed HBF structure will be applied. Rigorous modeling, testing, and implementation will be performed. The common theme of this program is learning, training, and developing expertise for emerging mmWave wireless communication and imaging systems. The proposed research will play a key role in training of undergrad, MSc and PhD students, and PDFs through building not only different levels of expertise in mmWave technologies for 5G and beyond, but also exposure to wireless communication and sensing science.