Unimodular Multi-Input Multi-Output Waveform and Mismatch Filter Design for Saturated Forward Jamming Suppression.

Forward jammers replicate and retransmit radar signals back to generate coherent jamming signals and false targets, making anti-jamming an urgent issue in electronic warfare. Jamming transmitters work at saturation to maximize the retransmission power such that only the phase information of the angular waveform at the designated direction of arrival (DOA) is retained. Therefore, amplitude modulation of MIMO radar angular waveforms offers an advantage in combating forward jamming. We address both the design of unimodular MIMO waveforms and their associated mismatch filters to confront mainlobe jamming in this paper. Firstly, we design the MIMO waveforms to maximize the discrepancy between the retransmitted jamming and the spatially synthesized radar signal. We formulate the problem as unconstrained non-linear optimization and solve it using the conjugate gradient method. Particularly, we introduce fast Fourier transform (FFT) to accelerate the numeric calculation of both the objection function and its gradient. Secondly, we design a mismatch filter to further suppress the filtered jamming through convex optimization in polynomial time. The simulation results show that for an eight-element MIMO radar, we are able to reduce the correlation between the angular waveform and saturated forward jamming to -6.8 dB. Exploiting this difference, the mismatch filter can suppress the jamming peak by 19 dB at the cost of an SNR loss of less than 2 dB.

Experimental Validation of Realistic Measurement Setup for Quantitative UWB-Guided Hyperthermia Temperature Monitoring.

Hyperthermia induces slight temperature increase of 4-8 °C inside the tumor, making it more responsive to radiation and drugs, thereby improving the outcome of the oncological treatment. To verify the level of heat in the tumor and to avoid damage of the healthy tissue, methods for non-invasive temperature monitoring are needed. Temperature estimation by means of microwave imaging is of great interest among the scientific community. In this paper, we present the results of experiments based on ultra-wideband (UWB) M-sequence technology. Our temperature estimation approach uses temperature dependency of tissue dielectric properties and relation of UWB images to the reflection coefficient on the boundary between tissue types. The realistic measurement setup for neck cancer hyperthermia considers three antenna arrangements. Data are processed with Delay and Sum beamforming and Truncated Singular Value Decomposition. Two types of experiments are presented in this paper. In the first experiment, relative permittivity of subsequently replaced tumor mimicking material is estimated, and in the second experiment, real temperature change in the tumor imitate is monitored. The results showed that the presented approach allows for qualitative as well as quantitative permittivity and temperature estimation. The frequency range for temperature estimation, preferable antenna configurations, and limitations of the method are indicated.

Dual-Band Monopole MIMO Antenna Array for UAV Communication Systems.

This study proposes a compact, low-profile, four-port dual-band monopole multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna array for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication systems. Each monopole antenna of the array features a modified T-shaped radiator configuration and is printed on a Rogers RT5880 substrate with compact dimensions of 134.96 mm × 134.96 mm × 0.8 mm. A four-element square MIMO configuration with sequential 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° rotations was integrated smoothly into the UAV body. A prototype of the MIMO array was fabricated and experimentally evaluated, with measured results showing a close correlation to simulated results. The proposed dual-band monopole antenna demonstrated one of the widest impedance bandwidths of 46.15% at 2.4 GHz (2.04 to 3.25 GHz) IEEE 802.11b and 31.85% at 5.8 GHz (5.37 to 7.38 GHz) IEEE 802.11a on a thin 0.0064 λo substrate while achieving high transmission efficiency. The isolation of the proposed four-port MIMO design was measured at 23 dB at 2.4 GHz and 19 dB at 5.8 GHz. The MIMO array's total efficiency of each monopole antenna was measured at 96% at 2.4 GHz and 89% at 5.8 GHz. The design has measured diversity parameters such as an ECC below 0.01 and a DG of approximately 10. Based on these results, the proposed design suits the UAV communication system.

DGD-CNet: Denoising Gated Recurrent Unit with a Dropout-Based CSI Network for IRS-Aided Massive MIMO Systems.

For the deployment of Sixth Generation (6G) networks, integrating Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (Massive MIMO) systems with Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRS) is highly recommended due to its significant benefits in reducing communication losses for Non-Line-of-Sight (NLoS) conditions. However, the use of passive IRS presents challenges in channel estimation, mainly due to the significant feedback overhead required in Frequency Division Duplex (FDD)-based Massive MIMO systems. To address these challenges, this paper introduces a novel Denoising Gated Recurrent Unit with a Dropout-based Channel state information Network (DGD-CNet). The proposed DGD-CNet model is specifically designed for FDD-based IRS-aided Massive MIMO systems, aiming to reduce the feedback overhead while improving the channel estimation accuracy. By leveraging the Dropout (DO) technique with the Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), the DGD-CNet model enhances the channel estimation accuracy and effectively captures both spatial structures and time correlation in time-varying channels. The results show that the proposed DGD-CNet model outperformed existing models in the literature, achieving at least a 26% improvement in Normalized Mean Square Error (NMSE), a 2% increase in correlation coefficient, and a 4% in system accuracy under Low-Compression Ratio (Low-CR) in indoor situations. Additionally, the proposed model demonstrates effectiveness across different CRs and in outdoor scenarios.

Multi-Cluster Approaches to Radio Sensor Array Channel Modeling and Simulation.

In this paper, we explore the physical propagation environment of radio waves by describing it in terms of distant scattering clusters. Each cluster consists of numerous scattering objects that may exhibit certain statistical properties. By utilizing geometry-based methods, we can study the channel second-order statistics (CSOS), where each distant scattering cluster corresponds to a CSOS, contributes a portion to the Doppler spectrum, and is associated with a state-space multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radio channel model. Consequently, the physical propagation environment of radio waves can be modeled by summing multiple state-space MIMO radio channel models. This approach offers three key advantages: simplicity, the ability to construct the entire Doppler power spectrum from multiple uncorrelated distant scattering clusters, and the capability to obtain the channels contributed by these clusters by summing the individual channels. This methodology enables the reconstruction of the radio wave propagation environment in a simulated manner and is crucial for developing massive MIMO channel models.

Computationally Efficient Direction Finding for Conformal MIMO Radar.

The use of conformal arrays offers a significant advancement in Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) radar, enabling the placement of antennas on irregular surfaces. For joint Direction-of-Departure (DOD) and Direction-of-Arrival (DOA) estimation in conformal-array MIMO radar, the current spectrum-searching methods are computationally too expensive, while the existing rotation-invariant method may suffer from phase ambiguity caused by the non-Nyquist spacing of the sensors. In this paper, an improved rotationally invariant technique is proposed. The core function of the proposed algorithm is to estimate the phase differences between the adjacent sensors; then, it eliminates phase ambiguity via the previous estimated standard phase difference. Thereafter, DODs and DOAs are obtained via Least Squares (LS) fitting. The proposed method provides closed-form estimates for joint DOD and DOA estimation, which is much more efficient than the existing spectrum-searching techniques. Numerical simulations show that the proposed algorithm can accurately determine 2D DODs and DOAs of targets, only requiring approximately 1% of the running time required by existing spectrum-searching approaches.

Dual-band millimetre wave MIMO antenna with reduced mutual coupling based on optimized parasitic structure and ground modification.

In this study, a high-isolation dual-band (28/38 GHz) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna for 5G millimeter-wave indoor applications is presented. The antenna consists of two interconnected patches. The primary patch is connected to the inset feed, while the secondary patch is arc-shaped and positioned over the main patch, opposite to the feed. Both patches function in the lower 28 GHz band, while the primary patch is accountable for inducing the upper 38 GHz band. An expedited trust-region (TR) algorithm is employed to optimize the dimensions of the antenna components, ensuring the antenna operates efficiently with high reflection at both bands. The antenna demonstrates a gain exceeding 7 dBi at both frequencies. An array of four antennas is configured orthogonally to create a MIMO system with isolation surpassing 19 dB. The isolation is further enhanced through the addition of a circular parasitic patch at the front and modifications made to the ground. The TR method is employed again to optimize their parameters and achieve the desired isolation, exceeding 32 dB at both bands. The MIMO system demonstrates outstanding diversity performance at both frequencies, characterized by low values of the envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) (< 10 - 4), channel capacity loss (CCL) (< 0.03 bit/s/Hz), and total active reflection coefficient (TARC) (< - 10 dB). Additionally, it secures a diversity gain (DG) exceeding 9.99 dB. The MIMO system is manufactured and tested, showing good alignment between simulation and measurement data for all performance metrics.

A compact circularly polarized dielectric resonator antenna with MIMO characterizations for UWB applications.

Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology is extensively used in indoor navigation, medical applications, and Internet of Things devices due to its low power consumption and resilience against multipath fading and losses. This paper examines a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), circularly polarized (CP) dielectric resonator antenna for UWB systems. Compact form factor, high gain, wideband response, improved port isolation, and high data rates are the major design goals. This arrangement consists of two identical DRAs with self-decoupled orthogonal orientations eliminating the need for extra decoupling structures while achieving an impressive maximum isolation of 43 dB. The corner-edge feeding mechanism of the extended feedline generates two orthogonal E-fields, facilitating circular polarization. Additionally, a printed hook-shaped stub integrated with the ground plane enhances CP performance across the two operating bands without altering the DR structure. Fabrication and testing exhibit an impressive 133 % impedance bandwidth (2.5-14 GHz) with high port isolation. For a 3 dB axial ratio reference, the single-element design exhibits axial ratio bandwidths (ARBW) of 1.2 GHz (3.6-4.8 GHz) and 0.8 GHz (9.3-10.1 GHz). Remarkably, the MIMO configuration achieves a single ARBW of 0.5 GHz (3.9-4.4 GHz). Detailed investigations of MIMO performance parameters, including diversity gain, envelope correlation coefficient, channel capacity loss, and total active reflection coefficient, underscore the design's efficacy, making it a good choice for UWB wireless applications.

A Novel Waveform Optimization Method for Orthogonal-Frequency Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Radar Based on Dual-Channel Neural Networks.

The orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) mode with a linear frequency modulation (LFM) signal as the baseband waveform has been widely studied and applied in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar systems. However, its high sidelobe levels after pulse compression affect the target detection of radar systems. For this paper, theoretical analysis was performed, to investigate the causes of high sidelobe levels in OFDM-LFM waveforms, and a novel waveform optimization design method based on deep neural networks is proposed. This method utilizes the classic ResNeXt network to construct dual-channel neural networks, and a new loss function is employed to design the phase and bandwidth of the OFDM-LFM waveforms. Meanwhile, the optimization factor is exploited, to address the optimization problem of the peak sidelobe levels (PSLs) and integral sidelobe levels (ISLs). Our numerical results verified the correctness of the theoretical analysis and the effectiveness of the proposed method. The designed OFDM-LFM waveforms exhibited outstanding performance in pulse compression and improved the detection performance of the radar.

Design of a Compact Multiband Monopole Antenna with MIMO Mutual Coupling Reduction.

In this article, the authors present the design of a compact multiband monopole antenna measuring 30 × 10 × 1.6 mm3, which is aimed at optimizing performance across various communication bands, with a particular focus on Wi-Fi and sub-6G bands. These bands include the 2.4 GHz band, the 3.5 GHz band, and the 5-6 GHz band, ensuring versatility in practical applications. Another important point is that this paper demonstrates effective methods for reducing mutual coupling through two meander slits on the common ground, resembling a defected ground structure (DGS) between two antenna elements. This approach achieves mutual coupling suppression from -6.5 dB and -9 dB to -26 dB and -13 dB at 2.46 GHz and 3.47 GHz, respectively. Simulated and measured results are in good agreement, demonstrating significant improvements in isolation and overall multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system performance. This research proposes a compact multiband monopole antenna and demonstrates a method to suppress coupling in multiband antennas, making them suitable for internet of things (IoT) sensor devices and Wi-Fi infrastructure systems.

A defected ground structure based ultra-compact wider bandwidth terahertz multiple-input multiple-output antenna for emerging communication systems.

This work presents a quad-port Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) wideband antenna that operates in the terahertz (THz) frequency range is designed and analyzed. To improve MIMO performance, a defective ground structure (DGS) is used. A rectangular metallic patch was altered by adding parasitic elements to the radiator with the lowered ground plane on a polyamide substrate in order to achieve the wideband THz operating frequency. The THz antenna was turned into a MIMO antenna by replicating horizontally and vertically with a spacing of 0.05 λ and 0.002 λ, respectively (λ calculated at 1.7 THz). The designed THz MIMO antenna, comprising 40 µm × 46 µm × 2 µm, operates across the 1.7-10.4 THz frequency region. The THz MIMO antenna provides isolation of more than 20 dB in the frequency range of 2.8-10.4 THz and more than 10 dB for the frequency of 1.7-2.7 THz. Isolation augmentation is accomplished by establishing different local current channels using the antenna's DGS. The MIMO diversity properties of the proposed THz MIMO antenna are analyzed and found to be ECC<0.004, DG ~ 10 dB, TARC < -10 dB, MEG < -3 dB, and CCL<0.23 bps/Hz over the antenna's operating frequency.

User-Centric Cell-Free Massive MIMO with Low-Resolution ADCs for Massive Access.

This paper proposes a heuristic association algorithm between access points (APs) and user equipment (UE) in user-centric cell-free massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems, specifically targeting scenarios where UEs share the same frequency and time resources. The proposed algorithm prevents overserving APs and ensures the connectivity of all UEs, even when the number of UEs is significantly greater than the number of APs. Additionally, we assume the use of low-resolution analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) to reduce fronthaul capacity. While realistic massive access scenarios, such as those in Internet-of-Things (IoT) environments, often involve hundreds or thousands of UEs per AP using multiple access techniques to allocate different frequency and time resources, our study focuses on scenarios where UEs within each AP cluster share the same frequency and time resources to highlight the impact of pilot contamination in dense network environments. The proposed algorithm is validated through simulations, confirming that it guarantees the connection of all UEs and prevents overserving APs. Furthermore, we analyze the required fronthaul capacity based on quantization bits and confirm that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing algorithms in terms of SE and average SE performance for UEs.

Precoder Design for Network Massive MIMO Optical Wireless Communications.

Precoding is a technique employed to enhance transmission rates in various communication systems, including massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and optical wireless communication (OWC). In this study, we focus on network massive MIMO OWC (NM-MIMO-OWC) systems and investigate the precoder design to enhance the sum rate and improve the system performance. We present the network's massive MIMO OWC framework. By utilizing this framework, we are able to calculate the achievable sum rate. Subsequently, we consider the precoding design for maximizing the sum rate while adhering to the total power constraint. To solve this optimization problem, we provide a necessary condition of the optimal solution based on the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions, and propose a low-complexity algorithm to further enhance the efficiency of the proposed precoding technique. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed precoder design significantly improves the transmission rate and effectively maximizes the sum rate.

Machine Learning Techniques for Blind Beam Alignment in mmWave Massive MIMO.

This paper proposes methods for Machine Learning (ML)-based Beam Alignment (BA), using low-complexity ML models, and achieves a small pilot overhead. We assume a single-user massive mmWave MIMO, Uplink, using a fully analog architecture. Assuming large-dimension codebooks of possible beam patterns at UE and BS, this data-driven and model-based approach aims to partially and blindly sound a small subset of beams from these codebooks. The proposed BA is blind (no CSI), based on Received Signal Energies (RSEs), and circumvents the need for exhaustively sounding all possible beams. A sub-sampled subset of beams is then used to train several ML models such as low-rank Matrix Factorization (MF), non-negative MF (NMF), and shallow Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP). We provide an extensive mathematical description of these models and the algorithms for each of them. Our extensive numerical results show that, by sounding only 10% of the beams from the UE and BS codebooks, the proposed ML tools are able to accurately predict the non-sounded beams through multiple transmitted power regimes. This observation holds as the codebook sizes at UE and BS vary from 128×128 to 1024×1024.

A Thermodynamic Study on Information Power in Communication Systems.

Modern information theory pioneered by Shannon provides the mathematical foundation of information transmission and compression. However, the physical (and especially the energetic) nature of the information has been elusive. While the processing of information incurs inevitable energy dissipation, it is possible for communication systems to harness information to perform useful work. In this article, we prove that the thermodynamic cost (that is, the entropy production of the communication system) is at least equal to the information transmitted. Based on this result, a model of a communication heat engine is proposed, which can extract work from the heat bath by utilizing the transmission of information. The communication heat engine integrates the manipulation of both energy and information so that both information and power may be transmitted in parallel. The information transmission rate and the information power of the communication heat engine are derived from a pure thermodynamics argument. We find that the information power of the communication heat engine can be increased by increasing the number of communication channels, but the absolute energy efficiency of the heat engine first increases and then decreases after the number of channels of the system exceeds a threshold. The proposed model and definitions provide a new way to think of a classical communication system from a thermodynamic perspective.

Controlling a new plasma regime.

Success of the UK's Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme requires a robust plasma control system. This system has to guide the plasma from initiation to the burning phase, maintain it there, produce the desired fusion power for the desired duration and then terminate the plasma safely. This has to be done in a challenging environment with limited sensors and without overloading plasma-facing components. The plasma parameters and the operational regime in the STEP prototype will be very different from tokamaks, which are presently in operation. During fusion burn, the plasma regime in STEP will be self-organizing, adding further complications to the plasma control system design. This article describes the work to date on the design of individual controllers for plasma shape and position, magneto hydrodynamic instabilities, heat load and fusion power. Having studied 'normal' operation, the article discusses the philosophy of how the system will handle exceptions, when things do not go exactly as planned. This article is part of the theme issue 'Delivering Fusion Energy - The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP)'.

Development of a High-Sensitivity Millimeter-Wave Radar Imaging System for Non-Destructive Testing.

There is an urgent need to develop non-destructive testing (NDT) methods for infrastructure facilities and residences, etc., where human lives are at stake, to prevent collapse due to aging or natural disasters such as earthquakes before they occur. In such inspections, it is desirable to develop a remote, non-contact, non-destructive inspection method that can inspect cracks as small as 0.1 mm on the surface of a structure and damage inside and on the surface of the structure that cannot be seen by the human eye with high sensitivity, while ensuring the safety of the engineers inspecting the structure. Based on this perspective, we developed a radar module (absolute gain of the transmitting antenna: 13.5 dB; absolute gain of the receiving antenna: 14.5 dB) with very high directivity and minimal loss in the signal transmission path between the radar chip and the array antenna, using our previously developed technology. A single-input, multiple-output (SIMO) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging system was developed using this module. As a result of various performance evaluations using this system, we were able to demonstrate that this system has a performance that fully satisfies the abovementioned indices. First, the SNR in millimeter-wave (MM-wave) imaging was improved by 5.4 dB compared to the previously constructed imaging system using the IWR1443BOOST EVM, even though the measured distance was 2.66 times longer. As a specific example of the results of measurements on infrastructure facilities, the system successfully observed cracks as small as 0.1 mm in concrete materials hidden under glass fiber-reinforced tape and black acrylic paint. In this case, measurements were also made from a distance of about 3 m to meet the remote observation requirements, but the radar module with its high-directivity and high-gain antenna proved to be more sensitive in detecting crack structures than measurements made from a distance of 780 mm. In order to estimate the penetration length of MM waves into concrete, an experiment was conducted to measure the penetration of MM waves through a thin concrete slab with a thickness of 3.7 mm. As a result, Λexp = 6.0 mm was obtained as the attenuation distance of MM waves in the concrete slab used. In addition, transmission measurement experiments using a composite material consisting of ceramic tiles and fireproof board, which is a component of a house, and experiments using composite plywood, which is used as a general housing construction material in Japan, succeeded in making perspective observations of defects in the internal structure, etc., which are invisible to the human eye.

Hard Successive Interference Cancellation for M-QAM MIMO Links in the Presence of Rayleigh Deep-Fading.

In our paper, we propose a generalized version of the Alternating Projections Digital Hard Successive Interference Cancellation (AP-HSIC) algorithm that is capable of decoding any order of constellation M in an M-Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) system. Our approach applies to Rayleigh deep-fading Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) channels with high-level Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN). It can handle various destructive phenomena without restricting the number of antenna arrays in the transmitter/receiver. Importantly, it does not rely on closed-loop MIMO feedback or the need for Channel-State Information Transmission (CSIT). We have demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach and provided a Bit Error Rate (BER) analysis for 16-, 32-, and 64-QAM modulation systems. Real-time simulations showcase the differences and advantages of our proposed algorithm compared to the Multi-Group Space-Time Coding (MGSTC) decoding algorithm and the Lagrange Multipliers Hard Successive Interference Cancellation (LM-HSIC) algorithm, which we have also developed here. Additionally, our paper includes a mathematical analysis of the LM-HSIC algorithm. The AP-HSIC algorithm is not only effective and fast in decoding, including interference cancellation computational feedback, but it can also be integrated with any Linear Processing Complex Orthogonal Design (LPCOD) technique, including Complex Orthogonal Design (COD) schemes such as high-order Orthogonal Space-Time Block Code (OSTBC) with high-order QAM symbols.

Quad port P-shaped MIMO antenna array for 60 GHz applications.

This article describes the design and fabrication of a 4 × 4 MIMO antenna array intended for operation at 60 GHz. The antenna comprises of half-circular p-shaped radiator connected with a microstrip line printed on the Rogers 4003 substrate of area 22.5 × 22.5 mm2 with εr, thickness, and tan Î´ of 3.5, 0.203 mm, and 0.0027, respectively. This single radiator is doubled and connected to the power divider to obtain a 1 × 2 antenna array for gain enhancement purposes. The array model is duplicated on the same substrate to achieve 2 ports and 4 ports MIMO antenna. Thereafter, the model is experimentally fabricated and tested to validate the simulated results. The measured results demonstrate the antenna's 60 GHz operating bandwidth extended from 57 GHz to 63 GHz and with insertion losses ≤ -30 dB between ports (1,2) and (1,4) (the orthogonal ports), while it equals around ≤ -23 dB between ports (1,3) (the mirrored ports) within the achieved band with good consistency between both simulated and tested results. Also, it has achieved a gain of more than 9 dBi at 60 GHz with a broadside radiation pattern in both planes. Furthermore, the MIMO parameters are also carried out (ECC, DG, CCL, MEG, and TARC). The ECC is below 0.0025, the DG is approximately 10 dB, the CCL is below 0.2 bits/s/Hz, the MEG is -3 dB and the TARC is below -10 dB over the achieved frequency band. All the MIMO parameters are investigated to prove the diversity characteristics of the antenna array which supports the antenna to be suitable for the 60 GHz communication.

A novel dual-band elliptical ring slot MIMO antenna with orthogonal circular polarization for 5G applications.

This paper presents a dual-band 4-element multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna featuring orthogonal circular polarization (CP) for Sub-6 GHz 5G applications. The single antenna combines a non-uniform width elliptical ring slot and a feed network, utilizing two L-shaped secondary feed lines to generate CP within the targeted frequency bands (3.55-3.80 GHz and 4.60-4.80 GHz). Using the single antenna as a unit antenna, a 4-element MIMO configuration is devised, employing a mirror technique for element placement to achieve orthogonal CP. This placement method effectively enhances coverage area and enlarges the 3-dB axial ratio bandwidth in the lower band (3.40-3.80 GHz). The common ground connections among elements are established via four strip lines. The antenna shows a good diversity performance considering the envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) result of less than 0.04 and isolation greater than 15 dB. The simulated gains of the MIMO antenna are 4 and 5 dBic in the respective bands. The single and MIMO antennas are fabricated, and the antennas' performances are evaluated. A good agreement is observed between the measured and simulated results. The dual CP and diversity performances of the MIMO antenna make it more efficient for 5G wireless applications.