MRI: Track 1 Development of an Integrated Instrument for 6G Sub-THz Joint Communication and Sensing

University Of California-San Diego, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to develop the sub-terahertz Integrated Communication and Sensing (TiCS) instrument, a programmable platform for experimenting with sub-terahertz (sub-THz) communication and sensing. Through advanced radio frequency circuits and signal processing module design, TiCS will provide experimentation capabilities to accelerate research and innovation in cutting-edge 6G wireless systems. TiCS will be deployed at the Qualcomm Institute Circuits Lab (QICL), a publicly accessible facility that has served researchers in UCSD, local startups, and other institutions for over a decade. The TiCS instrument aims to significantly advance the design and development of sub-THz research platforms. It plans to provide five new capabilities absent in current commercial or academic platforms: (i) A low-cost ultra-broadband 0.1-0.75 THz software-defined radio with up to 35 GHz sampling bandwidth, realized through multi-channel aggregation on state-of-the-art RFSoC FPGAs. (ii) A sub-THz MIMO prototype with real-time channel sounding for investigating near-field MIMO communication and sensing. (iii) Software-defined radar with customizable waveforms and processing algorithms, achieving sub-mm range resolution and ultra-fine angular resolution. (iv) A software-defined network analyzer enabling MHz-level precision in material characterization, orders of magnitude finer than THz time-domain spectroscopy. (v) A metadevice reference design library to facilitate rapid prototyping of sub-THz metadevices, including 2D metasurfaces and 3D metamaterials. These metadevices are essential for overcoming the propagation artifacts of sub-THz signals, and can facilitate the development of novel communication and sensing functions when integrated with TiCS' programmable hardware. These advanced capabilities will provide researchers transformative means to conduct cutting-edge investigations into 6G communications, networking, ubiquitous sensing, spectroscopy, biomedical diagnosis, and smart manufacturing. The software-defined joint communication and sensing (JCAS) functions implemented on FPGAs substantially reduce the instrument cost compared to recent sub-THz platforms that rely on wideband signal generators, oscilloscopes, and time-domain spectroscopy equipment, making 6G JCAS research more affordable for the broader wireless research community. TiCS will achieve broader impacts through the following key initiatives: (1) Building research capacity by addressing the gap in accessible sub-THz instrumentation and providing an open platform for 6G research; (2) Promoting open innovation by releasing TiCS hardware and software in the public domain, along with supporting resources; (2) Enhancing STEM education through new curriculum modules and K-12 outreach programs; and by engaging students in TiCS testing and experimentation. 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.