SBIR Phase I: Power-Optimized Beamforming Front-End Technology for High-Capacity Millimeter-Wave Wireless Communications

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project can positively impact a wide range of data-intensive wireless communication applications. An order of magnitude increase in bandwidth can enable much faster connection speeds for various communication applications, including 5G cellular, wireless infrastructure, and satellite communications. This project will enable network operators to rapidly roll-out advanced 5G wireless telecommunication networks. This technology will enable service providers to deploy cost-effective broadband connectivity to millions of underserved users and bridge the digital divide. Multiple industry sectors ranging from smart transportation, online healthcare, education, manufacturing, and smart city initiatives will be positively impacted. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project creates the core of a novel MMW front-end system architecture and RF Integrated Circuits system technology for the next generation of high-capacity MMW wireless communications. This project offers a unique MMW front-end technology, with a fundamentally different architecture compared to the existing state-of-the-art MMW wireless modules, that provides an ultra-high gain beam-forming wireless technology. In addition, the proposed technology significantly reduces the power consumption and RF losses compared to the conventional MMW front-end technologies. This project will investigate and demonstrate the performance of the proposed MMW beamforming front-end architecture, along with beamformer key building blocks for adaptation in highly efficient and high-capacity wireless networks. This technology supports an order of magnitude improvement in communication speeds compared to the existing MMW wireless solutions and enables many high-speed communication applications. 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.