Postgraduate Studentships
Proposed Project Title: Multigigabit device-to-device communications
Principal Supervisor: MICHAIL MATTHAIOU

Project Description:

The explosion of mobile data traffic over the past decades has been successfully supported by all previous four generations of cellular technology. Looking ahead in the future, the emerging fifth-generation (5G) will be a cutting-edge paradigm shift that includes very high carrier frequencies with massive bandwidths and high network densification, in order to support the anticipated mobile data traffic explosion by 2020 (166-fold increase compared to 2010). In this visionary project, we will investigate, for the first time ever, the potential of combining device-to-device (D2D) communications operating at millimetre frequencies. This technological combination is expected to deliver unprecedented multi-gigabit, short-range communications with low-interference levels.

This project will take large strides towards characterising the performance of these systems by developing new channel models, assessing the impact of hardware imperfections and, finally, optimising their performance using a real-time simulator.

Objectives:

The main objectives of this research are:

• Develop new channel models suitable for D2D networks operating millimetre frequencies.
• Determine the impact of hardware imperfections on the system performance. These imperfections refer to (a) multiplicative distortions from phase noise, which becomes the dominant limiting factor at high-frequencies; (b) operation outside the dynamic range of the power amplifier, to properly address that nonlinearities are more severe when the transmit power is very high; (c) amplitude-to-phase nonlinearities, which induce additional phase errors.
• Performance optimisation by maximizing the total area spectral efficiency using a real-time simulator.

Academic Requirements:

A minimum 2.1 honours degree or equivalent in Computer Science or Electrical and Electronic Engineering or relevant degree is required.

GENERAL INFORMATION

This 3 year PhD studentship, potentially funded by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), commences on 1 October 2015.

Eligibility for both fees and maintenance (£13,863 in 2014/15, 2015/16 TBC) depends on the applicants being either an ordinary UK resident or those EU residents who have lived permanently in the UK for the 3 years immediately preceding the start of the studentship. Non UK residents who hold EU residency may also apply but if successful may receive fees only.

Please note: DEL awards are available for Home and EU candidates only.

Applicants should apply electronically through the Queen’s online application portal at:
https://dap.qub.ac.uk/portal/

Further information available at:
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/eeecs/StudyattheSchool/PhDProgrammes

Contact detail

Supervisor Name: Dr Michail Matthaiou
Tel: +44 (0)28 9097 1789

QUB Address:
ECIT Institute, Queen's Road
Queen's University Belfast
Northern Ireland Science Park
Belfast, BT3 9DT
Email: m.matthaiou<στο>qub.ac.uk

Deadline for submission of applications is: 27th February 2015

For further information on Research Area click on link below:
https://sites.google.com/site/micmatthaiou/