NSF-IITP: CNS Core: Small: Quantum Communication and Sensing at Terahertz: A Path Toward 6G and Beyond

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

The recent developments toward 6G and beyond wireless networks open a new chapter in sensing and communication, enabling numerous services and applications in emerging sectors. These new services and applications demand unprecedented high-precision and efficient sensing and communication, which entails the utilization of large bandwidths available at the terahertz (THz) band. Although the transition to the THz band promises several benefits, the full advantage of the THz band can be reaped by using quantum resources. This multidisciplinary research will develop a unified framework to integrate quantum information science with THz sensing and communication. This project will establish the fundamentals of quantum sensing and communication at THz. In particular, the team of researchers will: establish the fundamental performance limits of quantum sensing and communication at THz, develop information- and estimation-theoretic learning methodologies for quantum sensing and communication at THz, and design algorithms for quantum sensing and communication at THz to achieve entirely new performance levels. The cross-pollination of ideas and methodologies adopted in this fundamental research will empower sensing and communication solutions, paving the way to robust and efficient quantum networks for 6G and beyond. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.