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

根据目前移动技术金融增长的市场趋势推断，数据容量将增加1000倍，预计下一代5G无线网络将在2020/2030年之间在加拿大部署。为了支持如此巨大的需求，无线行业正在快速过渡到毫米波技术，特别是与60 GHz的IEEE 802.11 ad兼容，以利用这些频段中的大量可用频谱。然而，在毫米波下实现高效无线系统存在一些工程挑战，包括这些波段的强波吸收，由于定向波束传播（较少衍射）而缺乏信道分集，以及在典型的室内和室外环境中缺乏视距（LOS）信道。虽然LOS无线通信技术更加成熟，但在存在物理障碍的情况下实现高数据吞吐量是一个更加实际和开放的问题。这些挑战将在该项目中与总部位于蒙特利尔的Kaytus技术公司（KTI）合作解决，该公司专门从事无线电资源管理和无线网络部署。该项目的具体目标是设计具有可工程辐射模式的60 GHz毫米波天线，从而产生沿指定方向的多波束辐射，从而增加信道分集，并可以避免非los条件下通信设备之间的物理障碍。这些辐射体将基于超表面天线的概念，并使用二维槽阵列来实现。这些天线的演示被视为演示完整无线系统的第一步，该系统可以在非los通信中提供千兆数据吞吐量，因此有助于在密集的城市环境中成功部署5G网络。该项目将进一步帮助KTI扩展其服务和产品系列，以更好地管理毫米波频段的无线电资源，并将成为为下一代5G网络开发新型可重构天线解决方案的跳板。

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.