Innovative agile-antenna solutions for millimeter-wave wireless communications

由于包括移动的通信、数据传送和智能传输的大量新兴应用，无线通信系统正在经历对数据速率的大量需求。预计这种非常大的数据流量将在未来十年继续增加。为了实现这种高数据业务量，已经提出了使用更先进的分集技术和编码技术的第一替代方案，以提高在6GHz以下的微波频带中操作的当前移动的网络的频谱效率。然而，这种传统的选择受到硬件实现和信道条件的基本限制的显著限制。第二种选择是探索使用毫米波段，以便利用30 GHz至95 GHz甚至更高的宽频谱带，为移动的用户提供多Gbps宽带接入。凭借这一特性，毫米波段被视为未来5G无线移动的网络的关键技术推动因素。然而，在mm波段，使用传统天线系统的无线通信系统遭受高路径损耗，这显著降低了它们在覆盖范围和容量方面的性能。为了克服这些挑战，我们建议在这个项目中开发先进的敏捷天线波束成形能力，使用新的有源电磁带隙（EBG）结构，这是一个有吸引力的解决方案，未来的毫米波无线通信。该项目将利用我们的研究团队在天线设计和电磁带隙结构方面的强大专业知识。研究工作将面向新的毫米波有源EBG结构的设计，以便使用它们开发具有波束扫描功能的新型敏捷天线，用于毫米波段的无线通信。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。

Wireless communication systems are experiencing a substantial demand in data rates due to a large number of emerging applications that include mobile communications, data transfer and intelligent transport. This very large data traffic is expected to continue increasing in the next decade. To achieve this high data traffic, a first alternative using more advanced diversity techniques and coding techniques has been proposed to improve the spectral efficiency of the current mobile networks, operating in microwave bands under 6GHz. However, this conventional option is significantly limited by fundamental limits on hardware implementation and channel conditions. The second alternative is to explore using mm-wave bands in order to take advantage of the wide spectrum bands available from 30 GHz up to 95 GHz and even beyond to provide multi-Gbps broadband access to mobile users. With this feature, mm-wave bands are seen as key technology enablers for future 5G wireless mobile networks. However at mm-wave bands, wireless communication systems using conventional antenna systems suffer from high path loss, which reduces their performances significantly in terms of coverage and capacity. To overcome these challenges, we propose in this project to develop advanced agile antennas with beamforming capability using novel active electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structures, which present an attractive solution to future mm-wave wireless communications. The proposed project will take advantage of our research team's strong expertise in both antenna design and electromagnetic band gap structures. Research efforts will be oriented towards the design of new mm-wave active EBG structures in order to use them for developing novel agile antennas with beam scanning functionality for wireless communications at mm-wave bands. 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.