Ultra-low latency clock-synchronised transceivers for future 6G radio access networks

Funder Royal Academy of Engineering

Amount £625 000

Research topics Clock Synchronisation | Radio Access Networks | Optical Clock Distribution | Optical Networks | Optical Communications | Wireless Communications

Description

The development of small and powerful wireless devices, such as smartphones, has perhaps been the most significant technological achievement of the 21st century so far, transforming the way we interact as a society and with our environment. However, wireless devices rely on being able to access internet services through supporting mobile infrastructure interconnected by optical fibre called radio access networks (RANs). Future wireless devices that will use upcoming 6G wireless networks, such as autonomous vehicles and augmented reality, have challenging requirements that must all be satisfied: nanosecond accuracy time synchronisation for sub-meter-scale positioning, ultra-low latency interconnection for maximum device responsiveness and high data rates. In addition, future RANs must also have sufficient data capacity to cope with the threefold increase in mobile data predicted for the next 5 years and must be low cost to enable large scale deployment.

No RANs exist that meet all the above requirements, necessitating their development to enable these society-transformative applications.

The goal of my fellowship is to develop new clock synchronised transceivers that combine optical clock synchronisation with methods of clock phase change measurement and prediction. These transceivers will be demonstrated by constructing a prototype that aims to demonstrate all the above challenging requirements for future 6G RANs. I will also explore the maximisation of RAN data capacity by demonstrating my clock synchronisation approach with high data rate methods of optical modulation and low latency digital signal processing.