Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

With the development of 5G mobile access networks, which is an initial network for communications, big data, internet of things and artificial intelligence (AI), 5G+/6G is being proposed for enhancing the functionalities of 5G, i.e. 5G+/6G is a global network for connecting anything in the world with low latency and high speed. To realize 5G+/6G networks, fronthaul communication systems, which are used to connect centralized baseband units (BBU) with numerous remote radio heads (RRH) using optical fiber, are the key challenging part of access networks because the current digital optical fiber communication systems, which have high complexity, and high power-consumption, cannot be straightforwardly used. The future fronthaul communication systems must have the features: simple structure, low complexity, low power consumption, low latency, and supporting Tb/s transmission. This 5-year Discovery program is responding to the above strategic and global vision to explore and create future photonics defined radio for 5G+/6G wireless. The applicant with his research group is poised to conduct fundamental and innovative researches to achieve cost-effective 5G+/6G fronthaul transmission technologies with related devices and circuits, which will be the key technologies of 5G+/6G access networks. The main research goal for this 5-year Discovery is to propose, study, and explore highly original technologies that are used for 5G+/6G wireless access. Specifically, this research is concerned with the following concepts, modeling, design and demonstrations: (1) Enabling technologies for 5G+/6G photonic and mm-wave/THz integrated circuits/transceivers; and (2) new cost-effective fronthaul transmission technologies. In (1), InP quantum dot laser modeling that is used for coherent optical frequency comb generators, and photonic-wireless transceiver design using coherent optical frequency comb generator are included. In (2), cost-effective Tb/s fronthaul transmission technologies, such as radio over fiber, linearization, and spatial division multiplexing etc. will be studied. In a long term, photonics defined radio will lead to many disruptive ICT technologies. This 5-year Discovery program will sustain Canadian ICT leadership and promote Canadian economy and human life.