Abstract-Terahertz Massive MIMO for Beyond-5G Wireless Communication

Sherif Adeshina Busari,  Kazi Mohammed Saidul Huq, Shahid Mumtaz, Jonathan Rodriguez

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8761371

Spectrum use will undoubtedly move to the terahertz (THz) frequencies in the beyond fifth-generation (B5G) mobile system era. With enormous bandwidth far greater than the amount available in the microwave and millimeter-wave bands combined, THz communication will open up new frontiers for exciting services and applications requiring ultra-broadband connectivity. In this work, we evaluate the performance of a candidate B5G scenario with THz-enabled massive MIMO access points mounted on street lampposts to serve pedestrian users. Using spectral efficiency (SE) and energy efficiency (EE) as metrics, we compared the performance of three precoding schemes, namely: analog-only beamsteering, hybrid precoding with baseband zero forcing and singular value decomposition precoding as upper bound. We also show the impacts of carrier frequency, bandwidth and antenna gain on the system performance. The simulation results reveal the optimal EE and SE points which are critical design goals for the green and sustainable operation of next-generation networks.

Abstract-Intelligent Environments based on Ultra-Massive MIMO Platforms for Wireless Communication in Millimeter Wave and Terahertz Bands

Shuai Nie, Josep M. Jornet, Ian F. Akyildiz

https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.07958

Millimeter-wave (30-300 GHz) and Terahertz-band communications (0.3-10 THz) are envisioned as key wireless technologies to satisfy the demand for Terabit-per-second (Tbps) links in the 5G and beyond eras. The very large available bandwidth in this ultra-broadband frequency range comes at the cost of a very high propagation loss, which combined with the low power of mm-wave and THz-band transceivers limits the communication distance and data-rates. In this paper, the concept of intelligent communication environments enabled by Ultra-Massive MIMO platforms is proposed to increase the communication distance and data-rates at mm-wave and THz-band frequencies. An end-to-end physical model is developed by taking into account the capabilities of novel intelligent plasmonic antenna arrays which can operate in transmission, reception, reflection and waveguiding, as well as the peculiarities of the mm-wave and THz-band multi-path channel. Based on the developed model, extensive quantitative results for different scenarios are provided to illustrate the performance improvements in terms of both achievable distance and data-rate in Ultra-Massive MIMO environments.

UCLA Samueli’s Integrated Sensors Lab partners with aviation network to test terahertz breakthrough

https://samueli.ucla.edu/ucla-samuelis-integrated-sensors-lab-partners-with-aviation-network-to-test-terahertz-breakthrough/

UCLA Samueli School of Engineering’s Integrated Sensors Laboratory is collaborating with Airborne Wireless Network (ABWN), a leader in high-speed broadband aerial wireless networks, to field test its terahertz-band communication technology at medium altitude.  

At present, the world’s wireless connectivity is achieved through undersea cables, ground-based fiber and satellites.  A midair digital network is a potential solution to provide low cost, high-speed connectivity to commercial and private aircraft in flight, as well as remote areas such as island nations and territories, ships at sea, and oil platforms.

“We are excited to enter into this agreement and pair UCLA’s pioneering work in terahertz communications with our inventive work in air-to-air and air-to-ground mesh networks,” said Mike Warren, CEO of ABWN. “There are many areas of collaboration and mutual interest.”  

The Integrated Sensors Laboratory, directed by Aydin Babakhani, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, designs, fabricates, and tests silicon-based terahertz sensors and systems. The laboratory has reported the world’s first picosecond pulse generation and detection technology using silicon microchips and successfully demonstrated a long distance terahertz wireless communication link.  

“We look forward to our collaboration with ABWN in deploying our terahertz technology on airborne platforms,” said Babakhani. “The large bandwidth and high directivity offered by our research is an ideal solution for establishing secure air-to-air wireless links. Terahertz also offers much larger bandwidth than today’s 5G systems. The technology has the potential to enable a link with over one terabits-per-second speed, which is fifty times higher than the peak data rate offered by today’s 5G systems.”

The UCLA-developed technology avoids the alignment and dispersion issues that limit the performance of free-space optical links. In addition to communication, the broadband terahertz pulse successfully augments the capabilities of precision radars and navigation systems, and also enables the identification and classification of small drones and other airborne objects through hyper-spectral sensing and micro-Doppler effects.

The technology will be tested at mid-level altitudes (10,000 to 15,000 feet) where it is expected to have inherent advantages over satellites; it will also be used to test and establish high bandwidth self-synchronizing airborne data links.