RMC’s Communications Research Group is made up of professors from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering with a research focus on the study, development, and enhancement of wireless communications.
Some of their research areas include:
- Massive MIMO Millimetre-wave communications
- Modulation and error-control coding
- Radar signal processing, including localization and compressive sensing
- Free-space optical communications
- Small cells in mobile communications
A major modern application of Communications research is in 5G communications networks. Though the term “5G” is specifically used for commercial cell phone networks, similar technologies are in use in other areas, including areas relevant to the military. The Communications group conducts research in new technologies that will improve the speed and clarity of communications across the board. Massive MIMO—short for multiple-input and multiple-output—is one such technology.
Another major area of research is in beamforming, in which a signal is transmitted in a specific direction to target a single receiver or base station. The Communications group investigates such complex questions as how to send more data streams to mobile systems, techniques to improve and maximize data transfer capacity, and ways to reduce interference between individual users—for example, for military communications where you want to send a specific data stream to some users, but not to others nearby.
The Communications lab is unique in Canadian universities. Some of its facilities and instruments include two infrared lasers, spatial light modulators, a fast steering mirror system, and a variety of adaptive optics tools. One ongoing graduate student project is the experimental construction of a low-cost adaptive optics system, allowing investigators to conduct adaptive optics research at a fraction of the typical cost.
Faculty
Dr. François Chan
BEng, MASc, PhD
Associate Professor and Investigator
Dr. Germain Drolet
BSc(Eng), MSc(Eng), PhD, PEng
Associate Professor and Investigator
Dr. Mostefa Hefnawi
BSc, MSc, PhD
Associate Professor and Investigator
Dr. Y.T. Chan
BSc, MSc, PhD, PEng
Emeritus Professor and Investigator