Job Description

Network architectures, multiple antenna systems and intelligent reflective surfaces in 6G wireless communications

Funding project: “6th Generation Wireless Communications Networks: New Concepts, Algorithms and Applications” (6th. Geração: Novos Conceitos, Algoritmos e Aplicações), FAPESP / MCTI / CGI - 2022
Supervisors: Prof. Rodrigo de Lamare (PUC-Rio, Univ. of York) and Prof. Lukas Landau (PUC-Rio)
Institution: Pontifícal Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Brazil

Contract duration and salary: up to 4 years with a fellowship of approximately BRL 9.1 per month (tax free) and funds for travel and research expenses. The start date can be as early as January.
Pre-requisites: Candidates must hold a PhD degree in electrical engineering (with a focus on telecommunications and/or signal processing) or applied mathematics. Having a strong mathematical background and/or computer literacy skills (Python, C++, Matlab, etc.) is a definite plus.
How to apply: Candidates should contact the supervisors via email (rodrigo.delamare@york.ac.uk, landau@puc-rio.br) providing a short motivation and a detailed academic-style CV including the list of publications. Applications will be received until the position is suitably filled.
Research summary
The development of network architectures with multiple antennas and intelligent reflective surfaces is a topic of great relevance for future 6G communications networks. The potential of new network architectures with distributed antennas, groupings of access points and the use of decentralized clouds is enormous to offer better coverage conditions, lower latency and more uniform performance for devices. In this context, the use of multiple antenna systems and intelligent reflective surfaces is of fundamental importance because access points equipped with multiple antennas can offer considerable performance gains. Furthermore, the employment of intelligent reflective surfaces can complement the role of multi-antenna systems by effectively modifying communications channels to the benefit of access points and devices. In this project, we propose the study and development of new approaches to network architectures, multiple antenna systems and intelligent reflective surfaces.
Objectives
This project will train a researcher dedicated to the topic of network architecture, multi-antenna systems and intelligent reflective surfaces. The researcher will develop new network architecture models involving access points, clouds and intelligent reflective surfaces for 6G networks. Furthermore, the researcher will develop mathematical models, new concepts, simulation tools for multiple antenna systems and intelligent reflective surfaces. The results will be published in conference proceedings and international journals. The researcher will be prepared for an academic career, to apply for professorships and to endorse the role of professor, advisor and research supervisor.
Workplan
The postdoctoral fellow will be included in the project to contribute to the network architectures, multiple antenna systems and intelligent surfaces. Thus, the concepts and algorithms to be investigated in the first and second year include new approaches to network architectures for the direct channel (from clouds to access points, devices and intelligent surfaces), and for the reverse channel (from devices to smart surfaces, access points and clouds). The idea is to formulate optimization problems to maximize information rates subject to the constraints of low latency, coverage and uniform quality of service using clouds, access points, intelligent surfaces and devices. In the third and fourth year, research will be focused on multiple antenna systems and intelligent surfaces. In particular, optimization algorithms for surfaces and optimization of their parameters will be developed to assist in the design of 6G networks and, in particular, help improve coverage of users and devices in an area of interest. In the area of multi-antenna systems, it is planned to develop near-field models to explore realistic aspects of multiple antennas and super-resolution techniques to obtain multiplexing gains in multi-antenna systems limited by the number of antennas or the availability of space for the antenna arrays. The idea is based on the use of antenna arrays with non-uniform spacing, which allows the creation of virtual antennas through a model known as the co-array model. Throughout the postdoctoral period, the fellow will lead the implementation of the algorithms developed in software-defined radio, helping and guiding scientific initiation students.

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