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Beyond Massive MIMO: Living at the Interface of Electromagnetics and Information Theory

Project description

Advanced antenna technologies for next-generation wireless communications

Massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) technology that uses multiple antennas at the transmitter and receiver to allow a variety of signal paths to carry the data is a key enabling technology for 5G. Such next-generation wireless technologies will use a large number of base station antennas to transmit data to simultaneously serve hundreds of users. The challenge is that the electromagnetic theory modelling and manufacturing development of these antenna structures will become increasingly complex. Existing information theory tools may therefore not be sufficient for developing the upcoming generation of MIMO-based systems. The EU-funded BEATRICE project aims to consolidate electromagnetic theory and information theory, paving the way for extending the range of MIMO antenna arrays applications after 2025.

Objective

Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MaMi) is now a core technology for 5G networks. With MaMi, we refer to systems with an unconventionally large number (e.g. hundreds or even thousands) of base station antennas simultaneously serving tens (or even hundreds) of users. To date, the development of MaMi has been exclusively based on information theory (IT) tailored towards cellular communications. While IT is undoubtedly a versatile mathematical tool, it is based on mathematical logic. This theoretical framework now needs to be extended and reshaped to: (i) account for the unique electromagnetic (EM) properties and (ii) incorporate the main feature of future MaMi-based communication systems, namely their capability of sensing the system’s response to the radio waves, and thereby informing its modification. Looking ahead, MaMi will have far more general applications: optical communications, radar, and wireless power transfer to name a few. The grand question that the proposed research will address is: Are the existing IT tools sufficient to understand the physical phenomena and develop the upcoming generation of MaMi-based systems in ten years from now? BEATRICE will address this fundamental question by unifying EM theory and IT and pave the way for an extended range of applications supported by massive antenna arrays after 2025.

The specific project objectives are to:

O1) Redefine the information theoretic modelling of concurrent and future MaMi-based systems using knowledge of unique EM characteristics, thereby quantifying their realisable potential.
O2) Develop new topological designs and modulation techniques for robust communication by harnessing knowledge about the EM properties of the transceivers and the propagation medium.
O3) Leverage the world-class T&M facilities at QUB, to design, fabricate and measure novel array topologies which will be able to support a plethora of MaMi-based applications.

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2020-COG

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Host institution

THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 997 797,00
Address
UNIVERSITY ROAD LANYON BUILDING
BT7 1NN BELFAST
United Kingdom

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Region
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Belfast
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 997 797,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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