Channel estimation and beam training with machine learning applications for millimetre-wave communication systems

The fifth generation (5G) wireless system will extend the capabilities of the fourth generation (4G) standards to serve more users and provide timely communication. To this end, the carriers of 5G systems will be able to operate at higher frequency bands, such as the millimetre-wave (mmWave) bands that span from 30 GHz to 300 GHz, to obtain greater bandwidths and higher data rates. As a result, the deployment of 5G networks is required to accommodate more antennas and offer pervasive coverage with controlled power consumption. The complexity of 5G systems introduces new challenges to traditional signal processing techniques. To address these challenges, a major step is to integrate machine learning (ML) algorithms into wireless communication systems. ML can learn patterns from datasets to achieve control and optimisation of complex radio frequency (RF) networks. This PhD thesis focuses on developing efficient channel estimation methods and beam training strategies with the application of ML algorithms for mmWave wireless systems. Firstly, the channel estimation and signal detection problem is investigated for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems that operate at mmWave bands. A deep neural network (DNN)-based joint channel estimation and signal detection approach is proposed to achieve multi-user detection in a one-shot process for non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) systems. The DNN acts as the receiver, which can recover the transmitted data by learning the channel implicitly from suitable training. The proposed approach can be adapted to work for both single-input and single-output (SISO) systems and multiple-output and multipleoutput (MIMO) systems. This DNN-based approach is shown to provide good performance for OFDM systems that suffer from severe inter-symbol interference or where small numbers of pilot symbols are used. Secondly, the beam training and tracking problem is studied for mmWave channels with receiver mobility. To reduce the signalling overhead caused by frequent beam training, a lowcomplexity beam training strategy is proposed for mobile mmWave channels, which searches a set of selected beams obtained based on the recent beam search results. By searching only the adjacent beams to the one recently used, the proposed beam training strategy can reduce the beam training delay significantly while maintaining high transmission rates. The proposed strategy works effectively for channel datasets generated using either the stochastic or the raytracing channel model. This strategy is shown to approach the performance for an exhaustive beam search while saving up to 92% on the required beam training overhead. Thirdly, the proposed low-complexity beam training strategy is enhanced with the use of deep reinforcement learning (DRL) for mobile mmWave channels. A DRL-based beam training algorithm is proposed, which can intelligently switch between different beam training methods such that the average beam training overhead is minimised while achieving good spectral efficiency or energy efficiency performance. Given the desired performance requirement in the reward function for the DRL model, the spectral efficiency or energy efficiency can be maximised for the current channel condition by controlling the number of activated RF chains. The DRL-based approach can adjust the amount of beam training overhead required according to the dynamics of the environment. This approach can provide a good overhead-performance trade-off and achieve higher data rates in channels with significant levels of signal blockage

Development of Liquid Scintillator containing a Zirconium Complex for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Experiment

An organic liquid scintillator containing a zirconium complex has been developed for a new neutrinoless double beta decay experiment. In order to produce a detector that has good energy resolution (4% at 2.5 MeV) and low background (0.1 counts/(tonne・year) and that can monitor tonnes of target isotope, we chose a zirconium β-diketone complex having high solubility (over 10 wt.%) in anisole. However, the absorption peak of the diketone ligand overlaps with the luminescence of anisole. Therefore, the light yield of the liquid scintillator decreases in proportion to the concentration of the complex. To avoid this problem, we synthesized a β-keto ester complex introducing -OC3H7 or -OC2H5 substituent groups in the β-diketone ligand, and a diethyl malonate complex. Those shifted the absorption peak to around 245nm and 210nm, respectively, which are shorter than the emission peak of anisole (275nm). However, the shift of the absorption peak depends on the the scintillation solvent. Therefore we have to choose an adequate solvent for the liquid scintillator. The best performance will be obtained by pure anisole scintillator containing a tetrakis diethyl malonate zirconium. We also synthesized a Zr-ODZ complex, which has a high quantum yield (30%) and good emission wavelength (425nm) with a solubility 5 wt.% in benzonitrile. However, the absorption peak of the Zr-ODZ complex was around 240 nm. Therefore, it is better to use the scintillation solvent which has shorter luminescence wavelength than that of benzonitrile

Performance of a liquid scintillator containing a zirconium β-keto ester complex developed for the ZICOS experiment

A liquid scintillator containing a zirconium β-keto ester complex has been developed for the ZIrconium Complex in Organic Scintillator (ZICOS) neutrinoless double beta decay experiment. We are aiming to develop a detector which has a good energy resolution (4% at 2.5 MeV), a large light yield (60% that of BC505) and a low background rate (0.1 counts/tonne・year) with several tonnes of 96Zr isotope, so we have investigated the zirconium β-keto ester complexes tetrakis (isopropyl acetoacetato) zirconium and tetrakis (ethyl acetoacetato) zirconium, which have high solubility (over 10 wt.%) in anisole. We measured the performance of liquid scintillators containing these zirconium β-keto ester complexes and obtained 40% of the light yield of BC505 and energy resolution of 4.1% at 2.5 MeV assuming 40% photo coverage of the photomultiplier in the ZICOS detector. Thus we almost achieved our initial goal. Preliminary investigations indicate that tetrakis (diethyl malonato) zirconium will give us no quenching of the light yield and an energy resolution of 2.9% at 2.5 MeV. This will be a suitable complex for the ZICOS experiment, if it has a large solubility

Discrimination of Cherenkov light in Liquid Scintillator for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Experiment

　A liquid scintillator containing a tetrakis（isopropyl acetoacetato）zirconium has been developed for ZICOS experiment. We will use 180 tons of liquid scintillator containing 75 kg of 96Zr in the inner balloon（45 kg in fiducial volume）surrounding 64 % photo coverage of 20 inch photomultiplier. In order to reach the sensitivity ≥1027 years, we have to reduce 95 % of 208Tl decay backgrounds at least. Using Monte Carlo simulation, we could demonstrate new method using the hit pattern of PMT which received Cherenkov light, and could reduce 93 % of 208Tl background with 78 % efficiency for 0νββ signal. For the discrimination of Cherenkov light, we measured the timing pulse shape of Zr loaded liquid scintillator using FADC digitizer, and we found an inconsistent pulse shape at the rise timing with the template of scintillation. Also the event with an inconsistent pulse shape seems to have a directionality

Precise pulse shape measurement of Cherenkov light using sub-MeV electrons from Sr-90/Y-90 beta source

The precise spectral pulse shape from Cherenkov lights was directly measured by using sub-MeV electrons from 90Sr/90Y beta source. The observed shape was clearly different from the shape of scintillation light. The pulse rise and fall （decay） time for Cherenkov light were 0.8 ns and 2.5 ns, respectively. They were actually shorter than those times of scintillation light which were also measured by 1.6 ns and 6.5 ns, respectively. This clear Thisclearclear difference of rise time will be used for the pulse shape discrimination in order to select PMTs which receive Cherenkov lights, and the topological information due to Cherenkov light will be used for the reduction of backgrounds from 208Tl beta decay which should be major backgrounds observed around Q-value （3.35MeV）of 96Zr neutrinoless double beta decay

Direct measurement of spectral shape of Cherenkov light using cosmic muons

The spectral pulse shape of Cherenkov lights was directly measured by using cosmic muons. The observed decay times for early and late timing were 5.0 and 5.2ns, respectively. They were actually shorter than the time of scintillation lights which were also measured as 9.3ns and 9.2ns, respectively. However we could not see the difference of the rise time between scintillation and Cherenkov lights. This was due to the slow response of our DAQ equipment, photomultiplier and FADC digitize

An Overview on IEEE 802.11bf: WLAN Sensing

With recent advancements, the wireless local area network (WLAN) or wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology has been successfully utilized to realize sensing functionalities such as detection, localization, and recognition. However, the WLANs standards are developed mainly for the purpose of communication, and thus may not be able to meet the stringent requirements for emerging sensing applications. To resolve this issue, a new Task Group (TG), namely IEEE 802.11bf, has been established by the IEEE 802.11 working group, with the objective of creating a new amendment to the WLAN standard to meet advanced sensing requirements while minimizing the effect on communications. This paper provides a comprehensive overview on the up-to-date efforts in the IEEE 802.11bf TG. First, we introduce the definition of the 802.11bf amendment and its formation and standardization timeline. Next, we discuss the WLAN sensing use cases with the corresponding key performance indicator (KPI) requirements. After reviewing previous WLAN sensing research based on communication-oriented WLAN standards, we identify their limitations and underscore the practical need for the new sensing-oriented amendment in 802.11bf. Furthermore, we discuss the WLAN sensing framework and procedure used for measurement acquisition, by considering both sensing at sub-7GHz and directional multi-gigabit (DMG) sensing at 60 GHz, respectively, and address their shared features, similarities, and differences. In addition, we present various candidate technical features for IEEE 802.11bf, including waveform/sequence design, feedback types, as well as quantization and compression techniques. We also describe the methodologies and the channel modeling used by the IEEE 802.11bf TG for evaluation. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future research directions to motivate more research endeavors towards this field in details.Comment: 31 pages, 25 figures, this is a significant updated version of arXiv:2207.0485

ZICOS : New project for neutrinoless double beta decay experiment using zirconium complex in liquid scintillator

　A liquid scintillator containing a zirconium β-keto ester complex has been developed for the Zirconium COmplex in liquid Scintillator (ZICOS) experiment which is new project of neutrinoless double beta decay search. We are aiming to develop a detector which has a good energy resolution (3.5% at 3.35 MeV), a large light yield (60% that of BC505) and a low background rate (0.1 counts/tonne・year) with several hundred kg of 96Zr isotope, so we have investigated the zirconium β-keto ester complexes such as tetrakis (isopropyl acetoacetato) zirconium and tetrakis (ethyl acetoacetato) zirconium, which have high solubility (over 30 wt.%)in anisole. We measured the performance of liquid scintillator containing these zirconium β-keto ester complexes, and obtained 48.7+-7.1% of the light yield of BC505 and the energy resolution of 4.1+-0.6% at 3.35 MeV assuming 40% photo coverage of the photomultiplier in the detector. This results reached our initial goal, so we estimated that ZICOS experiment should be sensitive to < 0.2 - 0.3 eV assuming gA = 1.25, gPP = 1.11 and QRPA model, if a radius of the balloon is 1.5 m and the balloon is filled with a liquidscintillator containing 10 wt.% concentration of a zirconium β-keto ester complex with an enriched 96Zr

Development of pulse shape discrimination for Cherenkov lights in liquid scintillator

With a liquid scintillation used for ZICOS experiment, we measured pulse shapes in case of several radio isotopes, 60Co, 137Cs, 133Ba, and 57Co. Taking FADC timing at 60 nsec for the peak position, FADC spectra from 58.5 nsec to 80 nsec were almost same shape for each RI, however, before 58.5 nsec, we have found that those were different shape. Especially, in case of 57Co, the energy is lower than Cherenkov threshold, so that the spectra should not include Cherenkov light. Using those spectra between 57.0 nsec and 58.0 nsec（3 bins）, we calculated simply χ2 and it was clearly discriminated that χ2 ≥ 0.1 should be include Cherenkov lights. This was also confirmed by Compton electrons with fixed energy and fixed direction. Obtained detection inefficiency of Cherenkov lights was observed by 21.4 ± 9.6 %. According to Compton edge events which have almost same direction as the incident γ and backgrounds events which should have isotropic direction, the detection inefficiency were 10.4 ± 0.5 % and 49.1 ± 1.4 %, respectively. They were quite different values and the inefficiency of both fixed energy and Compton edge events were statistically same. This is a direct evidence that Cherenkov lights should keep their topology even if they are emitted by around 1 MeV electron