452 research outputs found
Terahertz Communications and Sensing for 6G and Beyond: A Comprehensive View
The next-generation wireless technologies, commonly referred to as the sixth
generation (6G), are envisioned to support extreme communications capacity and
in particular disruption in the network sensing capabilities. The terahertz
(THz) band is one potential enabler for those due to the enormous unused
frequency bands and the high spatial resolution enabled by both short
wavelengths and bandwidths. Different from earlier surveys, this paper presents
a comprehensive treatment and technology survey on THz communications and
sensing in terms of the advantages, applications, propagation characterization,
channel modeling, measurement campaigns, antennas, transceiver devices,
beamforming, networking, the integration of communications and sensing, and
experimental testbeds. Starting from the motivation and use cases, we survey
the development and historical perspective of THz communications and sensing
with the anticipated 6G requirements. We explore the radio propagation, channel
modeling, and measurements for THz band. The transceiver requirements,
architectures, technological challenges, and approaches together with means to
compensate for the high propagation losses by appropriate antenna and
beamforming solutions. We survey also several system technologies required by
or beneficial for THz systems. The synergistic design of sensing and
communications is explored with depth. Practical trials, demonstrations, and
experiments are also summarized. The paper gives a holistic view of the current
state of the art and highlights the issues and challenges that are open for
further research towards 6G.Comment: 55 pages, 10 figures, 8 tables, submitted to IEEE Communications
Surveys & Tutorial
Statistical channel modeling for short range line-of-sight terahertz communication
Underutilized spectrum constitutes a major concern in wireless communications especially in the presence of legacy systems and the prolific need for high-capacity applications as well as consumer expectations. From this perspective, Terahertz frequencies provide a new paradigm shift in wireless communications since they have been left unexplored until recently. Such a vast frequency spectrum region extending all the way up to visible light and beyond points out significant opportunities from dramatic data rates on the order of tens of Gbps to a variety of inherent security and privacy mechanisms, and techniques that are not available in the traditional systems. Thus, in this paper, we investigate statistical parameters for short-range line- of-sight channels of Terahertz communication. Short-range measurement campaign within the interval of [3cm, 20cm] are carried out between 275GHz to 325GHz range. Path loss model is examined for different frequencies and distances to provide the insight regarding the effect of the operating frequency. Measurement results are provided with relevant discussions and future directions
Modeling and Analysis of sub-Terahertz Communication Channel via Mixture of Gamma Distribution
With the recent developments on opening the terahertz (THz) spectrum for
experimental purposes by the Federal Communications Commission, transceivers
operating in the range of 0.1THz-10THz, which are known as THz bands, will
enable ultra-high throughput wireless communications. However, actual
implementation of the high-speed and high-reliability THz band communication
systems should start with providing extensive knowledge in regards to the
propagation channel characteristics. Considering the huge bandwidth and the
rapid changes in the characteristics of THz wireless channels, ray tracing and
one-shot statistical modeling are not adequate to define an accurate channel
model. In this work, we propose Gamma mixture-based channel modeling for the
THz band via the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. First, maximum
likelihood estimation (MLE) is applied to characterize the Gamma mixture model
parameters, and then EM algorithm is used to compute MLEs of the unknown
parameters of the measurement data. The accuracy of the proposed model is
investigated by using the Weighted relative mean difference (WMRD) error
metrics, Kullback-Leibler (KL)-divergence, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to show
the difference between the proposed model and the actual probability density
functions (PDFs) that are obtained via the designed test environment. According
to WMRD error metrics, KL-divergence, and KS test results, PDFs generated by
the mixture of Gamma distributions fit the actual histogram of the measurement
data. It is shown that instead of taking pseudo-average characteristics of
sub-bands in the wideband, using the mixture models allows for determining
channel parameters more precisely.Comment: This paper has been accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on
Vehicular Technolog
A Prospective Look: Key Enabling Technologies, Applications and Open Research Topics in 6G Networks
The fifth generation (5G) mobile networks are envisaged to enable a plethora
of breakthrough advancements in wireless technologies, providing support of a
diverse set of services over a single platform. While the deployment of 5G
systems is scaling up globally, it is time to look ahead for beyond 5G systems.
This is driven by the emerging societal trends, calling for fully automated
systems and intelligent services supported by extended reality and haptics
communications. To accommodate the stringent requirements of their prospective
applications, which are data-driven and defined by extremely low-latency,
ultra-reliable, fast and seamless wireless connectivity, research initiatives
are currently focusing on a progressive roadmap towards the sixth generation
(6G) networks. In this article, we shed light on some of the major enabling
technologies for 6G, which are expected to revolutionize the fundamental
architectures of cellular networks and provide multiple homogeneous artificial
intelligence-empowered services, including distributed communications, control,
computing, sensing, and energy, from its core to its end nodes. Particularly,
this paper aims to answer several 6G framework related questions: What are the
driving forces for the development of 6G? How will the enabling technologies of
6G differ from those in 5G? What kind of applications and interactions will
they support which would not be supported by 5G? We address these questions by
presenting a profound study of the 6G vision and outlining five of its
disruptive technologies, i.e., terahertz communications, programmable
metasurfaces, drone-based communications, backscatter communications and
tactile internet, as well as their potential applications. Then, by leveraging
the state-of-the-art literature surveyed for each technology, we discuss their
requirements, key challenges, and open research problems
A prospective look: key enabling technologies, applications and open research topics in 6G networks
The fifth generation (5G) mobile networks are envisaged to enable a plethora of breakthrough advancements in wireless technologies, providing support of a diverse set of services over a single platform. While the deployment of 5G systems is scaling up globally, it is time to look ahead for beyond 5G systems. This is mainly driven by the emerging societal trends, calling for fully automated systems and intelligent services supported by extended reality and haptics communications. To accommodate the stringent requirements of their prospective applications, which are data-driven and defined by extremely low-latency, ultra-reliable, fast and seamless wireless connectivity, research initiatives are currently focusing on a progressive roadmap towards the sixth generation (6G) networks, which are expected to bring transformative changes to this premise. In this article, we shed light on some of the major enabling technologies for 6G, which are expected to revolutionize the fundamental architectures of cellular networks and provide multiple homogeneous artificial intelligence-empowered services, including distributed communications, control, computing, sensing, and energy, from its core to its end nodes. In particular, the present paper aims to answer several 6G framework related questions: What are the driving forces for the development of 6G? How will the enabling technologies of 6G differ from those in 5G? What kind of applications and interactions will they support which would not be supported by 5G? We address these questions by presenting a comprehensive study of the 6G vision and outlining seven of its disruptive technologies, i.e., mmWave communications, terahertz communications, optical wireless communications, programmable metasurfaces, drone-based communications, backscatter communications and tactile internet, as well as their potential applications. Then, by leveraging the state-of-the-art literature surveyed for each technology, we discuss the associated requirements, key challenges, and open research problems. These discussions are thereafter used to open up the horizon for future research directions
THz Communications – A Candidate for a 6G Radio?
W the first 5G networks are about to be launched, the discussion within the scientific community about the next generation Beyond 5G or 6G has already kicked-off. One of the candidate technologies for a 6G radio access technology is THz communications, which uses spectrum mainly beyond 275 GHz enabling the use of channel bandwidths of several 10s of GHz. This contribution provides an overview on current state-of-the art of THz communications in research, standardization and regulation and discusses the challenges to make THz communications a promising candidate for a 6G radio
Seven Defining Features of Terahertz (THz) Wireless Systems: A Fellowship of Communication and Sensing
Wireless communication at the terahertz (THz) frequency bands (0.1-10THz) is
viewed as one of the cornerstones of tomorrow's 6G wireless systems. Owing to
the large amount of available bandwidth, THz frequencies can potentially
provide wireless capacity performance gains and enable high-resolution sensing.
However, operating a wireless system at the THz-band is limited by a highly
uncertain channel. Effectively, these channel limitations lead to unreliable
intermittent links as a result of a short communication range, and a high
susceptibility to blockage and molecular absorption. Consequently, such
impediments could disrupt the THz band's promise of high-rate communications
and high-resolution sensing capabilities. In this context, this paper
panoramically examines the steps needed to efficiently deploy and operate
next-generation THz wireless systems that will synergistically support a
fellowship of communication and sensing services. For this purpose, we first
set the stage by describing the fundamentals of the THz frequency band. Based
on these fundamentals, we characterize seven unique defining features of THz
wireless systems: 1) Quasi-opticality of the band, 2) THz-tailored wireless
architectures, 3) Synergy with lower frequency bands, 4) Joint sensing and
communication systems, 5) PHY-layer procedures, 6) Spectrum access techniques,
and 7) Real-time network optimization. These seven defining features allow us
to shed light on how to re-engineer wireless systems as we know them today so
as to make them ready to support THz bands. Furthermore, these features
highlight how THz systems turn every communication challenge into a sensing
opportunity. Ultimately, the goal of this article is to chart a forward-looking
roadmap that exposes the necessary solutions and milestones for enabling THz
frequencies to realize their potential as a game changer for next-generation
wireless systems.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figure
Towards 6G with THz Communications: Understanding the Propagation Channels
This article aims at providing insights for a comprehensive understanding of
THz propagation channels. Specifically, we discuss essential THz channel
characteristics to be well understood for the success of THz communications.
The methodology of establishing realistic and 6G-compliant THz channel models
based on measurements is then elaborated on, followed by a discussion on
existing THz channel measurements in the literature. Finally, future research
directions, challenges and measures to enrich the understanding of THz channels
are discussed.Comment: 7 page
THz ISAC: A Physical-Layer Perspective of Terahertz Integrated Sensing and Communication
The Terahertz (0.1-10 THz) band holds enormous potential for supporting
unprecedented data rates and millimeter-level accurate sensing thanks to its
ultra-broad bandwidth. Terahertz integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) is
viewed as a game-changing technology to realize connected intelligence in 6G
and beyond systems. In this article, challenges from THz channel and
transceiver perspectives, as well as difficulties of ISAC are elaborated.
Motivated by these challenges, THz ISAC channels are studied in terms of
channel types, measurement and models. Moreover, four key signal processing
techniques to unleash the full potential of THz ISAC are investigated, namely,
waveform design, receiver processing, narrowbeam management, and localization.
Quantitative studies demonstrate the benefits and performance of the
state-of-the-art signal processing methods. Finally, open problems and
potential solutions are discussed
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