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

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.