NSF RINGS: Resilient mmWave Networks via Distributed In-Surface Computing (mmRISC)

Project Information

 

Project Overview

Wireless networks are undergoing a radical transformation with the aim to provide the critical information infrastructure for the 21st century and foster new economic opportunities, innovation and many emerging applications. To facilitate this, there is a focus on new spectrum in the millimeter-wave frequency range that has the ability to support ultra-high data rates with low latency needed for applications in automation, robotics and cyber-physical systems, smart health, and autonomous vehicles and systems. The spectrum can also support wireless backhaul links to bridge the last mile connectivity, and provide broadband wireless access---the importance of which is clearly highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, these connectivity links are prone to physical channel disruptions including blockages and channel propagation variations, and therefore not resilient. The proposal involves a multi-disciplinary approach across three different research groups towards addressing these problems and ensuring resilience and scalability in such networks. The proposed concept of smart reflecting surfaces aims to enable dynamic and on-demand control of wireless channels to create favorable transmission allowing robust wireless connectivity in mobile mmWave WLANs. The success of this project can enable the next-generation, ubiquitous, and low-cost mmWave wireless access, including flexible deployment of wireless backhauls addressing the last-mile connectivity, satellite communication, and intelligent wireless sensing systems for smart cities and cyber-physical systems. The project will address the need for developing US-centric capabilities in semiconductors and wireless technology, through training of students across the undergraduate and the PhD program in a rigorous multi-disciplinary research effort.

This project, mmRISC, builds Resilient mmWave Networks via Distributed In-Surface Computing. We investigate mmWave, multi-band hybrid surfaces with embedded custom-silicon ICs that provide on-surface signal amplification and computing abilities for multi-user localization, tracking and ambient sensing. Our proposed surfaces enable resilient and reconfigurable distributed networks that maintain low latency, energy and spectral efficiency. We pursue a holistic, cross-system research approach focusing on scalable, spectrally-agile, low-power, and low-cost hybrid surfaces operable across multiple mmWave bands with controlled amplification. We will also focus on embedded computing for on-surface sensing, and resilient network architectures supporting such smart surfaces allowing capacity optimization. Through cross-layer design approaches, our proposed work will inform the architecture of NextG surface-assisted wireless networks for the future.

Publications

Physical Layer Security Through Directional Modulation With Spatio-Temporal Millimeter-Wave Transmitter Arrays

Xuyang Lu, Suresh Venkatesh, Bingjun Tang, and Kaushik Sengupta
IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 2024
[PAPER]

 

A Hybrid Antenna-Metasurface Architecture for mmWave and THz Massive MIMO

Zijian Shao, Ruiyi Shen, William Xia, Yasaman Ghasempour, Kaushik Sengupta, and Sundeep Rangan
IEEE Asilomar, 2024
[PAPER]

 

A 36–91 GHz Broadband Beamforming Transmitter Architecture With Phase Error Between 1.2°–2.8° for Joint Communication and Sensing

Zheng Liu, Emir Ali Karahan, and Kaushik Sengupta
IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 2024
[PAPER]

 

A Low-Power OAM Metasurface for Rank-Deficient Wireless Environments

Kun Woo Cho, Srikar Kasi, and Kyle Jamieson
IEEE GLOBECOM, 2023
[PAPER]

 

Wall-Street: Smart Surface-Enabled 5G mmWave for Roadside Networking

Kun Woo Cho, Prasanthi Maddala, Ivan Seskar, Kyle Jamieson
Arxiv, 2024
[PAPER]

 

Wavefront Manipulation Attack via Programmable mmWave Metasurfaces: from Theory to Experiments

Haoze Chen, Hooman Saeidi, Suresh Venkatesh, Kaushik Sengupta, and Yasaman Ghasempour
ACM WiSec, 2023 [acceptance rate=18%]
[PAPER]

 

LeakyScatter: A Frequency-Agile Directional Backscatter Network Above 100 GHz

Atsutse Kludze and Yasaman Ghasempour
USENIX NSDI, 2023 [acceptance rate=17%]
[PAPER].  **Best Paper Award**

 

Towards Dual-band Reconfigurable Metamaterial Surfaces for Satellite Networking

Kun Woo Cho, Yasaman Ghasempour, Kyle Jamieson
ACM HotNets, 2022
[PAPER]

 

Towards Terahertz Wireless Authentication with Unique Aperture Fingerprints using Leaky-Wave Antennas

Atsutse Kludze and Yasaman Ghasempour
IEEE IRMMW-THz, 2022
[PAPER]

 

Broader Impacts

  • Disseminating the results to a broader community: The co-PI gave a lecture at the 2023 Ronald E. Hatcher Science on Saturday Lecture series on Feb 4, 2023. This lecture series is organized by the Princeton Plasma Physics lab (which is a DOE national lab). The co-PI’s lecture was attended by more than 100 people in person and another 200 people on Zoom. The attendees were ranging from 5 to 90 years old and from different backgrounds. You can find more here. 
  • Cultivating interest in STEM among high school students: Through participating in High School Engineering Colloquium (HSEC) at Princeton, the PIs engaged with high school girls exploring STEM and engineering. This activity includes meeting students during two weekends, panel discussions, and lab tours. 
  • Undergraduate Research: The PIs have mentored several undergraduate students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science at Princeton University. Students completed their senior theses and research internships in the PIs' working on the areas of mmWave communication, mmWave sensing, ICs and Metasurfaces, and 6G Wireless systems. 
  • Industry Collaboration and Engagement: To inform standard bodies and cultivate collaboration with the 6G industry, PIs Ghasempour and Sengupta are Co-Directors of the NextG industrial partners program at Princeton University. As part of this effort, PIs co-organized the first Princeton NextG Symposium on March 8, 2023 and May 1-2, 2024 with the participation of major industry stakeholders. You can find more here. 

  • Graduate Training and Workforce Development: The project intersects more than a few scientific disciplines and therefore it trains students to develop and appreciate a broader outlook for science and engineering needed to solve this century’s biggest problems. The students are trained in theory of circuits and systems, communication, electromagnetics and antenna theory. They are also trained in integrated circuit principles and state-of-the-art tools for design, and analysis of ICs, such as Cadence and Keysight Design System. They also get trained in finite-element electromagnetic packages such as Ansys HFSS. More importantly, they get to understand how each of these different simulation results in different paradigms govern the entire system's functionality. They also get trained in high-frequency measurements which involve complex techniques, calibrations and are useful for a broad range of important research in the coming years including future 5G and wireless connectivity. In summary, students get trained in a many different connected fields which enable them to mature as researchers and leaders.