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

在过去的一年里，关于可能的5G标准的初步兴趣和讨论吸引了世界各地研究人员和工程师的注意力和想象力。 预计在未来20年内，无线数据流量将增加10，000倍。为了解决这种令人难以置信的无线数据流量，第一种方法是通过使用更先进的频谱效率技术来进一步提高频谱效率系统，例如6 GHz以下频段的4G LTE。然而，对硬件实现和信道条件的基本限制可能会限制这种传统选择的可行性。 第二种方法是提高频率，进入未使用的非传统频谱，即毫米波（mm波），其中有巨大的带宽可用。这一新的选择使得能够使用具有更简单的低成本调制技术的大带宽（例如2GHz）来实现高数据速率（几Gb/s），而不是依赖于最初旨在以较小带宽实现高频谱效率的高度复杂的技术。目前，57-64 GHz、71-76 GHz、81-86 GHz和92-95 GHz频段可用于无线通信。 拟议的项目将利用我们的研究团队在毫米波和信号处理技术方面的强大专业知识。研究工作将面向新的毫米波收发器架构的设计，具有固有的宽带，原型收发器制造使用集成平面技术（采用创新的毫米波组件，如智能天线和多端口干涉仪），以及无线链路的具体性能测量。 这一项目将产生的新知识和对与这一工作不同阶段有关的高素质人员的培训肯定将有助于提高加拿大在这一高技术部门的全球竞争力。

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.