Extreme Bandwidth Communication

Optical wireless: 6G and beyond

Dominic O’Brien, Professor of Engineering Science Oxford University, UK

Mar 21, 09:00 - 10:00

KAUST Library

Over the past four decades or so optical wireless has made rapid progress, with data-rates of Tb/s being shown in lab- demonstrations, and a growing commercial sector. At the same time quantum communications is maturing, with plans for global satellite networks using free-space optical links to enable secure communications. There are also a number of new technologies, such as single photon detectors, that are becoming low-cost, and offer the potential for new levels of performance. At the same time, the demand for wireless communications grows exponentially. The move of RF communications to ever-higher carrier frequencies brings the same challenges that light experiences, and a model that uses bands of frequencies to provide reliable channels, combined with those to provide capacity is evolving. This talk will survey the capabilities of optical wireless, both classical and quantum, present some of the challenges, and opportunities in what is an increasingly complex and diverse wireless communications landscape.

Visible light communication towards 6G: challenges and prospects

Nan Chi, Professor, Information Science and Engineering, Fudan University, China

Mar 21, 10:20 - 11:00

KAUST Library

VLC has its irreplaceable strength including rich spectrum resources, no electromagnetic disturbance, and high-security guarantee. Therefore it can be adopted as an alternative approach in 6G. In this report, a summary of the latest progress of VLC system will be introduced, which includes novel devices, advanced modulation, high-speed system, and Artificial intelligence (AI) related signal processing algorithm. We will also discuss the challenges and the prospects of high-speed VLC system in 6G.

Dr. Bekkali: Next Generation free-space optical Communication Systems: Concept, Challenges and Research Directions

Dr. Abdelmoula Bekkali, R&D Manager at TOYO Electric Corporation, Japan, IEEE Senior member

Mar 21, 11:00 - 11:40

KAUST Library

The ever-increasing demand for higher data rates communication services, has led to the innovation of new advanced technologies and techniques over communication systems with the ultimate goal to fulfill the requirements of the B5G/6G networks. In this context, Free space optics (FSO) communication systems are re-gaining attraction as a promising wireless interconnecting technology for high-capacity and low-latency communication networks, ensuring data rates similar to those offered by optical fiber systems but at a fraction of its deployment cost. In this talk, we first review the main advantages and practical challenges of the FSO systems and links. We then give an overview of the recent trends of IR based FSO systems for the B5G/6G era, including the transceiver design and system architecture. Finally, we discuss the potential integration of FSO with mmWave and THz links for reliable communication and wider coverage area.

Prof. Wymeersch: Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces for enabling localization with minimal infrastructure

Prof. Henk Wymeersch, Professor in Communication Systems with Dep. of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

Mar 21, 13:30 - 14:10

KAUST Library

Abstract Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) have been studied extensively to improve communication rate and coverage. They are also an important technology in radio localization, as RISs provide both location references and adaptive measurements. In turn, they can both boost and enable localization. Enabling localization where it would otherwise be impossible is an attractive prospect. In this talk, we will discuss several minimal scenarios (in the sens of minimal infrastructure) for localization and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) when RIS play a crucial role. Practical

Prof. Alexiou: Directional Terahertz Wireless Communications: a game changer for 6G

Prof. Angeliki Alexiou, professor at the department of Digital Systems, University of Piraeus, Greece

Mar 21, 14:10 - 14:50

KAUST Library

Abstract The exploitation of the THz band is expected to catalyze 6G systems, as a “virtual fiber” solution to wireless backhaul and fronthaul, ultra-fast short-range access and adhoc/mobile connectivity. Nevertheless, the utilization of THz wireless technologies comes with several challenges, mainly associated with the very high propagation losses and high blockage probability in the THz regime, which require the utilization of high-gain directional antennas with strict beam alignment requirements, and blockage avoidance based medium access and resource allocation. In this talk, we first

Towards Multi-band RF, Optical, THz, Millimeter-wave Communications in 6G

Hina Tabassum, Assistant Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Canada

Mar 21, 15:20 - 16:00

KAUST Library

Starting from the vision, key performance indicators (KPI), and key enabling techniques (KETs) of 6G wireless networks, this talk will focus on the role of multi-band communications in 6G where optical, mm-wave and Terahertz transmissions will coexist with the conventional RF spectrum. Specifically, this talk will first discuss some of the fundamental challenges related to network dimensioning, mobility management, and resource optimization in multi-band networks. Then, recent research results will be presented to demonstrate potential solution techniques that can overcome some of the design challenges and answer the questions such as (1) whether mobility can be efficiently supported through multi-band communications? (2) how to efficiently associate and offload devices in a multi-band network? and (3) how the network resource management can be designed to combat the shorter channel coherence time in optical, mm-wave and Terahertz transmissions. Finally, the talk will pin-point some of the emerging technologies that can be leveraged to enhance the multi-band 6G networks' reliability.

Prof. Yang: Space-Air-Ground FSO Networks for High-Throughput Satellite Communications

Hong-Chuan Yang, Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Victoria, Canada

Mar 21, 16:00 - 16:40

KAUST Library

Abstract The next generation of satellite communication systems aims to achieve a throughput of Terabits/s. Because of the limited spectrum available, traditional radio frequency (RF) communication link cannot provide such high throughput. Free-space optical (FSO) transmission is a promising alternative that has recently gained increased attention in the satellite community. However, FSO communication is sensitive to the adverse effects of beam scintillation, beam wander-induced pointing error, free-space loss, and weather conditions. To counteract these limitations, we propose a space-air

Next-generation wireless: Connecting the world with Taara Wireless Optical Communications (WOC)

Devin Brinkley, Engineering lead for Project Taara, X, USA

Mar 21, 16:40 - 17:20

KAUST Library

"Broadband connectivity has been fueling a steady enrichment of our lives for the past few decades, in education, commerce, health, and work. Consumption of data has been on an exponential growth curve during this period, doubling approximately every 18 to 24 months. Fifth-generation (5G) wireless rollout is in progress in most of the world to keep up with our demand for data, and projections for sixth-generation (6G) wireless predict up to a thousand-fold increase in mobile traffic by 2030. Yet our global connectivity infrastructure suffers from persistent disparities. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2020 report, less than 10% of households in low-income countries subscribe to fixed broadband, compared to 70% in middle-income and 90% in high-income countries, respectively. Overall, about half of the world’s population (approximately 4B people) do not have access to affordable and abundant broadband connectivity. Billions more remain under-connected today, as our internet infrastructure strains to keep up with increasing data demands. In this talk, we will discuss Wireless Optical Communication (WOC) and its pioneering role in a future where ubiquitous broadband internet will be accessible and affordable to everyone on the planet. We will introduce WOC fundamentals, with a focus on the technology pillars of Taara’s WOC design that have allowed us to balance performance with cost-effective manufacturing. We will conclude with examples from our real-world deployments that demonstrate the impact of this innovative technology when applied to the global connectivity challenge."

Prof. Basar: Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface-Empowered Communications for 6G Wireless Networks

Prof. Ertugrul Basar, Associate Professor with the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Koç University, Turkey

Mar 22, 09:00 - 09:40

KAUST Library

Abstract Signal processing and communication communities have witnessed the rise of many exciting communication technologies in recent years. Notable examples include alternative waveforms, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) signaling, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), joint communications and sensing, sparse vector coding, index modulation, and so on. It is inevitable that 6G wireless networks will require a rethinking of wireless communication systems and technologies, particularly at the physical layer (PHY) since the cellular industry reached another important milestone

Optically Active Graphene Metasurfaces for Forward Control of Light Polarization and its Inverse Detection

Muhammad Amin, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Taibah University, KSA

Mar 22, 09:40 - 10:40

KAUST Library

Graphene-based ultrathin chiral metasurfaces offer dispersive optical activity in the early terahertz spectrum which results from retarded asymmetrical surface plasmon (SP) currents that are excited by the incident wave. By varying the chemical potential of graphene layer, the associated optical activity spectrum of the linearly polarized incident light waves can be shifted. Consequently, the reflected electromagnetic waves can take linear, circular, or elliptical polarizations depending on the chemical potential. Invoking the reciprocity, when different polarizations impinge the chiral metasurface, different patterns of asymmetric SP currents are formed on the chiral unit cells which can be detected and related to the incident polarizations. This presentation explores ways to exploit the forward control and inverse detection mechanisms of the Graphene-based chiral metasurfaces for telecommunication and biosensing applications. In particular, a unique scheme of polarization-state (PoSK) modulation and a polarization-based virus detection scheme are discussed. Polarization state Keying (PoSK): A dynamically controllable graphene metasurface is capable to switch the polarization state of incident THz waves in real-time. Full-wave simulation results shows that the polarization state modulation with the proposed chiral graphene based metasurface is capable to achieve quaternary modulation for digital communication system. Refractive Index Characterization for Virus Detection: The chirality of the highly sensitive graphene plasmonic metasurfaces can be exploited to characterize complex refractive indexes (RI) of influenza viruses by detecting the polarization state of the reflected electric fields in the THz spectrum. The unique polarization states are observed in the far-field with the ellipticity values that change rapidly with the analyte’s RI. The determination of biomolecular binding event is treated as an inverse problem in which the polarization states of the virus are compared with a pre-calculated calibration model.

Prof. Vipiana: Numerical Analysis of Glide Structures for 5G/6G Communications via a Periodic Integral Equation Formulation

Prof. Francesca Vipiana, Full Professor of Electromagnetic Fields at the Dept. of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, Senior Member of IEEE

Mar 22, 11:00 - 11:40

KAUST Library

Abstract The topic of the presentation is a technique based on integral equations, the periodic Green’s function and the method of moments discretization to efficiently analyze the dispersion diagram of non-canonical glide-symmetrical structures. The proposed technique is tested on a glide fully metallic Luneburg lens for 5G/6G communications. Brief Biography Francesca Vipiana received the Laurea and Ph.D. degrees in electronic engineering from the Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy, in 2000 and 2004, respectively, with doctoral research carried out partly at the European Space Research

Prof. Hakan Bagci: Simulation of Photoconductive Antennas for Terahertz Source Generation

Hakan Bagci, Associate Dean for Students, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering

Mar 22, 13:40 - 14:20

KAUST Library

Abstract Terahertz (THz) frequency electromagnetic fields have numerous applications ranging from wireless communications to imaging systems and nondestructive testing, to material characterization. One of the main obstacles in the way of widespread industrial use of THz technologies is the difficulty of implementing compact and frequency-stable THz sources that can operate at room temperatures. Among a variety of possible options, photoconductive devices and antennas satisfy these conditions. Indeed, they have become one of the most promising candidates for THz source generation since recent

Prof. Dan Jiao: Fast and Accurate Method for Nonlinear Signaling Analysis

Prof. Dan Jiao, Professor at School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Purdue University (USA), IEEE Fellow

Mar 22, 14:20 - 15:00

KAUST Library

Abstract Signaling analysis of nonlinear channels is challenging because it cannot rely on linear time invariant principles, while an exhaustive nonlinear simulation is computationally prohibitive for low bit error rates. To find the worst-case eye, an exhaustive approach requires nonlinear simulations of $2^m$ bit patterns for a channel of $m$-bit memory. In this work, we represent the nonlinear responses to the $2^m$ inputs by a rank-$k$ matrix, where $k$ denotes the number of distinct waveforms in the responses for a prescribed accuracy, which is much smaller than $2^m$. We further develop

Prof. Alù: Metasurface Platform for Enhanced Wireless Communications

Prof. Andrea Alù, Einstein Professor of Physics at the CUNY Graduate Center, Professor of Electrical Engineering at The City College of NY

Mar 22, 15:20 - 16:20

KAUST Library

Abstract In this talk we review our recent progress on the opportunities enabled by metamaterials and metasurfaces for wireless communication technologies. We will discuss our recent work in the context of time modulation and spatio-temporal variations in metasurfaces, with particular attention to the tools they offer to overcome the common limitations of passive, linear, time-invariant systems. More broadly, we discuss how metasurfaces integrated with active, nonlinear and time-varying elements may disruptively advance mm-wave wireless communication systems, offering new tools for

Prof. Peng: Combinatorial Optimization of Reconfigurable Intelligence Surfaces via the Ising Spin Glass Model

Zhen Peng, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

Mar 22, 16:20 - 17:00

KAUST Library

Abstract The reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) based on discrete meta-surfaces with tunable elements has been widely studied in wireless communication and antenna communities. Researchers have devoted substantial efforts to investigating large-scale optimization algorithms that achieve desired channel conditions. This is particularly challenging as the RIS are nearly passive due to minimal hardware complexity and power requirements. In this talk, we will discuss a physics-oriented, mathematically tractable computational framework that enables the optimization of RIS configuration

Prof. Erricolo: Millimeter-Wave Wide-Angle Beam-Steering by Leaky Wave Antenna with Liquid Crystal-based Phasing Structure and Metamaterial-Inspired Radiating Apertures

Danilo Erricolo, IEEE Fellow, Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, USA

Mar 22, 17:00 - 17:40

KAUST Library

Abstract An original liquid crystal (LC)-based substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) leaky-wave antenna is proposed. Inside the SIW, there is an embedded stripline sandwiched between an LC pool and another dielectric slab. The antenna couples the guided quasi-TEM mode into free space through a periodic set of complementary electric inductive-capacitive resonators. The antenna performs fixed-frequency continuous beam steering. A relatively wide beam scan angle is achieved by tuning the LC permittivity through an applied DC bias voltage to the stripline. The antenna has high realized gain through

Poster Session - Extreme Bandwidth Communication

Mar 22, 17:40 - 20:30

KAUST Library

Poster Session

Prof. Yahya Rahmat-Samii: CubeSats and SmallSats: New Paradigms for Ingenious Antenna Developments

Prof. Yahya Rahmat-Samii, a holder of the Northrop-Grumman Chair in electromagnetics, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE)

Mar 23, 08:30 - 09:30

KAUST Library

CubeSats and SmallSats have resulted in tremendous amounts of excitement within research, industry and defense communities. They are responsible for a remarkable revolution in the arena of satellites for diverse applications.

Prof. Jarrahi: Plasmonic antennas for terahertz wireless links

Mona Jarrahi, Professor, University of California Los Angeles Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, IEEE Fellow

Mar 23, 09:35 - 10:30

KAUST Library

Abstract This talk describes how plasmonic antennas offer high radiation powers and detection sensitivities and dynamic beam-forming capability for future terahertz wireless links. Brief Biography Mona Jarrahi received her B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology in 2000 and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 2003 and 2007. She served as a Postdoctoral Scholar at University of California Berkeley from 2007 to 2008. After serving as an Assistant Professor at University of Michigan Ann Arbor, she joined University of

Prof. Hussein Attia: Recent developments in Wideband Millimeter-wave MIMO Antennas

Prof. Hussein Attia, Electrical Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM)

Mar 23, 11:05 - 11:45

KAUST Library

Abstract Millimeter-wave wireless systems offer high data rate, low latency, improved spectral efficiency and channel capacity, mainly when used in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. Therefore, millimeter-wave antennas are explored to meet the user requirements of high throughput, with a very close distance between antenna elements to enable miniaturization. However, antenna miniaturization at millimeter-wave bands has been a growing concernamong antenna engineers because of the inevitable, undesired mutual coupling between the antenna elements. This reduces the overall

Prof. Atif Shamim: Gain and Efficiency Enhancement of mm-Wave On-Chip Antennas Through Artificial Magnetic Conductors

Atif Shamim, Program Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Mar 23, 13:30 - 14:10

KAUST Library

Abstract The emerging applications at millimeter wave frequencies have helped to achieve true System-on-Chip solutions by bringing the antennas on the Integrated Circuits (ICs that are also commonly known as chips). This is because the antenna sizes at these frequencies are small enough for practical on-chip realization. Though, there are a number of benefits of putting an antenna-on-chip (AoC), such as monolithic integration resulting in compact systems, and lower cost due to mass manufacturing in standard CMOS processes, etc, the major issue is dealing with silicon substrate’s high

Prof. Yahia Antar: Recent Advancements and Future Trends in Modern Antenna Systems for Communications and for Sensors

Prof. Yahia Antar, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada

Mar 23, 14:15 - 14:55

KAUST Library

Abstract Many aspects of our lives are recently becoming more dependent on communications through wireless, satellites and other platforms. This trend is exemplified by the massive investment in current and future endeavours, such as 5G, 6G technologies, internet of things (IOT) which are enabling fundamentally new evolving applications. A common denominator in many of these new applications is the antenna, which forms the “eyes and ears” of many communication systems and sensors. New developments for advancing the state of the art in antenna technology and associated circuits from the

Prof. Ahmed A. Kishk: Efficient Antenna Array Design for mmWave Applications

Prof. Ahmed Kishk, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal Canada

Mar 23, 15:25 - 16:05

KAUST Library

Abstract Recently, interest has increased for millimeter wave antennas due to the high demand for faster data and reliable service in mobile communication. One of the driving forces is the fifth generation (5G) of the wireless network, which aims to provide such requirements. To handle such a demand, the systems should utilize the millimeter-wave bands. As the frequency increases, the path loss and material losses increase reducing the system efficiency. Therefore, there is a need for efficient millimeter-wave guiding structures that overcome such limitations. Gap waveguide technology is found

Prof. John (Yiannis) Volakis: UWB Future 5G Transceivers & Wearable Electronics

John (Yiannis) Volakis, Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing at Florida International University (FIU), USA

Mar 23, 16:10 - 16:50

KAUST Library

Abstract Future communication links (future 5G) will require higher data rates, multiple beams, and higher transmit/receive gains, in addition to smaller weight, cost, and power. With the growing interest for reduced size platforms and the requirement for ultra-wideband (UWB) performance to address multi-functionality, there is a strong need for UWB RF front-ends with ultra flexible interfaces. The latter will include millimeter wave and THz capabilities to enable increased spectral efficiency, multi-functionality and security. Simultaneous transmit and receive (STAR) transceivers are also

Prof. Mark Rodwell: 100-300GHz Transceiver Design for MIMO Communications

Prof. Mark Rodwell, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of California, Santa Barba

Mar 23, 17:00 - 17:35

KAUST Library

Abstract 100-300GHz wireless systems can provide very high data rates per signal beam, and, given the short wavelengths, even compact arrays can contain many elements, permitting massive spatial multiplexing for further increased capacity. We will describe ICs, modules, and system design of 140 GHz massive MIMO wireless hubs and 210 GHz and 280 GHz MIMO backhaul links. Brief Biography Mark Rodwell holds the Doluca Family Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering at UCSB and directs the SRC/DARPA ComSenTer Wireless Research Center. His research group develops high-frequency