Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Upcoming 6G+ wireless systems will be the seed for enabling extremely immersive user experience with connected intelligence and expected to support bandwidth hungry and ultra-low latency applications such as immersive virtual reality, connected robotics and autonomous systems. These applications pose new challenges to the requirements of data speed, computing, connectivity, and spectral efficiency. These networks will be large scale distributed computing frameworks with integrated sensing, storage, ubiquitous connectivity, and evolving intelligence to enable advanced functionalities such as tactile internet, and augmented reality. Mobile and stationary aerial platforms, edge intelligence, Intelligent Reconfigurable Surfaces (IRS) and sub-THz, micro/mmWave and optical-wireless access technologies will play a vital role in realizing these advanced communication and sensing functionalities. These open-up a plethora of opportunities in wireless system engineering for sustainable design, and superior operation. The proposed research program therefore seeks to focus on the design and development of advanced and practical technologies and algorithms for tightly coupled heterogeneous wireless networks utilizing contemporary optimization-based or data driven, machine learning-based decisions in network control and management. The objectives include: (1) developing a framework for quantum enhanced integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) that will exploit the same time, frequency, space, and radio resources for information transfer, localization, and human activity detection; (2) designing intelligent geometrical beamforming, beam steering and tracking algorithms for massive MIMO and IRS systems to provide ubiquitous broadband connectivity and sensing while effectively utilizing aerial platforms; (3) optimizing integrated optical/wireless front/backhaul network topologies and slicing to meet diverse Quality of Experience to the user such as ultra low latency, true broadband access and massive connectivity; (4) integrating quantum limited optical-wireless communication and power transfer with radio access technologies to add another dimension to ISAC while easing the spectrum crunch and enhancing security. The research process will often need to solve nonlinear mixed integer optimization problems that are unlikely to adhere to analytical and mathematical models. Hence, we will use machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms that learn the underlying relationships among multitudes of variables and predict the upcoming behavior wherever feasible. This research program will train HQP in cutting edge technologies and complex problem-solving skills. Invention of new techniques and technologies from this research program will foster a vital competitive edge to the strategic Canadian ICT industry, and bring significant scientific, economic, and social benefits to Canada.