Collaborative Research: CNS Core: Large: Scaling WLANs to TB/sec: THz Spectrum, Architectures, and Control

千兆比特每秒规模的无线传输已经在无线局域网(WLAN)中商业化。例如，最新的60千兆赫Wi-Fi标准承诺数据速率高达每秒100千兆位。该项目的目标是通过支持移动客户端的低延迟控制平面，实现针对每秒太比特的无线局域网在数据速率、频谱接入、方向性和空间复用方面的下一个数量级。也就是说，将频谱接入扩展到太赫兹将为实现第六代无线网络提供关键因素。因此，该项目将导致设计、实施和概念验证演示无线局域网架构，该架构使用100千兆赫到500千兆赫的频谱，范围超过100米。该项目的目标是通过以下综合研究推动，将移动客户端的多数据流数据速率扩展到每秒太比特。第一个项目推力为从100 GHz到500 GHz的可控和高方向性波束提供了两个基础构件：(1)将开发出第一个像素化亚表面波导，通过元元件的电开关来动态引导太赫兹波束。(2)首次利用太赫兹泄漏波导独特的耦合频率和方向角特性，提供频率选择性自适应波束控制。第二个项目的目标是扩展到高密度的用户群。首先，将开发新的智能反射表面，使工程非镜面非视线路径成为可能。这一推力将通过实验研究不同架构组件下可实现的网络密度，确定在太赫兹尺度下将许多同步物理链路打包到有限空间区域的经验极限。第三个项目的主要目标是提供不间断的TB/秒规模通信，即使在存在用户和环境移动性的情况下也是如此。该项目的方法旨在通过针对每个传输和接收角度的新频谱签名，将控制平面扩展到大而密集的移动WLAN。也就是说，从泄漏的波导发出太赫兹彩虹，每条路径都会得到一个独特的角度信号，无论是视线、镜面反射还是工程路径。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Gigabit-per-second scale wireless transmission is already commercially available in wireless local area networks (WLANs). For example, the latest Wi-Fi standard at 60 gigahertz promises data rates up to 100 gigabits per second The objective of this project is to realize the next order of magnitude in data rate, spectrum access, directionality, and spatial multiplexing targeting terabit per second WLANs with a low-latency control plane that supports mobile clients. Namely, scaling spectrum access towards terahertz will provide a key ingredient to realize the sixth generation of wireless networks. Thus, this project will result in the design, implementation, and proof-of-concept demonstration of a WLAN architecture using spectrum from 100 gigahertz to 500 gigahertz with range exceeding 100 meters.This project targets to scale multi-stream data rates to terabit per second for mobile clients via the following integrated research thrusts. The first project thrust provides two underlying building blocks for steerable and highly directional beams from 100 GHz to 500 GHz: (1) A first-of-its-kind pixelated metasurface waveguide will be developed to dynamically steer a THz beam via electrical switching of the meta-elements. (2) A THz leaky waveguide's unique property of coupling frequency and steering angle will be exploited for the first time to provide frequency-selective adaptive beam steering. The second project thrust targets scaling to high-density user populations. First, new smart reflecting surfaces will be developed that will enable engineered non-specular non-line-of-sight paths. This thrust will experimentally study the achievable network density under different architectural components, identifying empirical limits at THz scale of packing many simultaneous physical links into a limited spatial area. The third project thrust targets to provide uninterrupted Tb/sec scale communication even in the presence of user and environmental mobility. The project's methodology aims to scale the control plane to a large and dense mobile WLAN via a novel spectral signature for each transmission and reception angle. Namely, with a terahertz rainbow emitted from a leaky waveguide, a unique angular signature is derived for each path, whether line of sight, a specular reflection, or an engineered path.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.