Theodore Rappaport
New York University, NY·Engineering
Future wireless networks will need data rates far beyond 5G. Applications such as virtual and augmented reality, holographic communications and autonomous driving could require 100 gigabits per second or more.
- Fields
Engineering
Computer Science
- Topics
sub-terahertz
THz communications
142 GHz
- Grants
- 2 known grants, through Sep 2027
What they work on
- Design and prototype a wideband liquid crystal-based reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) at 142 GHz, first passive and then active, using amplifier-integrated substrate-integrated waveguide elements.
- Develop algorithms that control each active RIS element's frequency-dependent phase shift and amplification, using unsupervised graph neural networks and reinforcement learning to scale to large networks.
- Validate RIS-aided sub-THz links with the NYURay ray-tracing simulator and on-site sliding correlation channel sounder measurements, building a site-specific hybrid channel model.
- Design hybrid beamforming for wideband multicarrier terahertz systems that corrects beam squinting, where very wide bandwidths make beams point in different directions, using optimization and deep learning.
- Develop joint user association with base stations and RISs, plus centimeter-accuracy positioning using the Precision Time Protocol, to improve beam steering and handover for mobile devices.
More about the research
The frequencies above 100 GHz, called sub-terahertz (sub-THz), offer huge amounts of unused bandwidth. However, these signals lose strength quickly with distance and travel in narrow beams. The lab's projects tackle these limits with new hardware, control algorithms and real-world signal measurements, focused on future sixth-generation (6G) networks.
Why it matters
Sub-THz links could deliver the terabit-scale wireless speeds that 6G, future Wi-Fi and wireless backhaul will require. Low-power intelligent surfaces and precise positioning could extend coverage and keep mobile connections stable. This could help telecom companies, equipment makers and regulators planning spectrum above 100 GHz. The open simulation tools and measured channel models could support wider industry and regulatory work.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Collaborative Research: NeTS: Medium: Design and Algorithms for Active Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces for sub-THz Wireless Networks
NSF · Oct 2024 – Sep 2027
Collaborative Research: Beamforming, User Association and Precise Positioning in Future Terahertz-Enabled Wireless Networks
NSF · Sep 2023 – Aug 2027
Closest labs
Subhanshu Gupta
Washington State University, WA·Engineering
Use the frequency-dependent beams of true-time-delay arrays to cut beam-training overhead, and design a low-latency protocol that trains beams and estimates interference at the same time in dense millimeter-wave networks.
Yasaman Ghasempour
Princeton University, NJ·Engineering·Early-career
Steer narrow terahertz beams electronically using a new multi-slit antenna, in which the beam's angle depends on the signal frequency and the slit geometry, to overcome the high signal loss at frequencies above 100 GHz.
Hao Xu
University of Nevada-Reno, NV·Engineering·Early-career
Develop a hierarchical game theory (HGT) for large-scale multi-agent systems, such as power management and transportation networks, that maintains optimal efficiency while keeping computing demands manageable as agent numbers grow.
The school
New York University: 72 labs on PI Pages, $1.5B a year on research, 540 research doctorates a year.
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