arXiv subjects

Theodore S. Rappaport

Publications and source records attributed to Theodore S. Rappaport.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Joint Detection, Channel Estimation and Interference Nulling for Terrestrial-Satellite Downlink Co-Existence in the Upper Mid-Band

The upper mid-band FR3 spectrum (7-24 GHz) has garnered significant interest for future cellular services. However, utilizing a large portion of this band requires careful interference coordination with incumbent satellite systems. This paper investigates interference from high-power terrestrial base stations (TN-BSs) to satellite downlink receivers. A central challenge is that the victim receivers, i.e., ground-based non-terrestrial user equipment (NTN-UEs) such as satellite customer premises equipment, must first be detected and their channels estimated before the TN-BS can effectively place nulls in their directions. We explore a potential solution where NTN-UEs periodically transmit preambles or beacon signals that TN-BSs can use for detection and channel estimation. The performance of this nulling approach is analyzed in a simplified scenario with a single victim, revealing the interplay between path loss and estimation quality in determining nulling performance. To further validate the method, we conduct a detailed multi-user site-specific ray-tracing (RT) simulation in a rural environment. The results show that the proposed nulling approach is effective under realistic parameters, even with high densities of victim units, although TN-BS may require a substantial number of antennas.

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arXiv2025

Four-Port Probe Stations and SOLR Calibration Standard Design up to 125 GHz on 28 nm CMOS

This paper presents two innovative four-port probe stations developed by FormFactor Incorporated (FFI) and MPI Corporation (MPI), and a four-port calibration standard design up to 125 GHz for the probe stations. True four-port probing at mmWave and beyond does not yet exist, but is anticipated for future multi-band wireless devices using several antennas and RF chains. The four-port probe stations are housed in the THz measurement facility at NYU and allow simultaneous probing from East, West, North, and South orientations, which presents challenges for calibration. An on-chip Short-Open-Load-Reciprocal (SOLR) calibration (cal) standard is designed leveraging UMC's 28 nm CMOS process. S/O/L standard S-parameters are extracted using a virtual multiline Thru-Reflect-Line (mTRL) cal and used to validate SOLR cal performance via simulations up to 125 GHz. The novel probing solutions from MPI and FFI, along with the SOLR cal, open up considerable opportunities for precise RF characterization across wide frequency ranges.

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arXiv2025

Standardized Machine-Readable Point-Data Format for Consolidating Wireless Propagation Across Environments, Frequencies, and Institutions

The necessity of new spectrum for 6G has intensified global interest in radio propagation measurements across emerging frequency bands, use cases, and antenna types. These measurements are vital for understanding radio channel properties in diverse environments, and involve time-consuming and expensive campaigns. A major challenge for the effective utilization of propagation measurement data has been the lack of a standardized format for reporting and archiving results. Although organizations such as NIST, NGA, and 3GPP have made commendable efforts for data pooling, a unified machine-readable data format for consolidating measurements across different institutions and frequencies remains a missing piece in advancing global standardization efforts. This paper introduces a standardized point-data format for radio propagation measurements and demonstrates how institutions may merge disparate campaigns into a common format. This data format, alongside an environmental map and a measurement summary metadata table, enables integration of data from disparate sources by using a structured representation of key parameters. Here, we show the efficacy of the point-data format standard using data gathered from two independent sub-THz urban microcell (UMi) campaigns: 142 GHz measurements at New York University (NYU) and 145 GHz measurements at the University of Southern California (USC). A joint path loss analysis using the close-in path loss model (1 m ref. distance) yields a refined estimate of the path loss exponent (PLE) employing the proposed standard to pool measurements. Other statistics such as RMS delay spread and angular spread are also determined using a joint point-data table. Adopting this simple, unified format will accelerate channel model development, build multi-institutional datasets, and feed AI/ML applications with reliable training data in a common format from many sources.

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arXiv2025

Spectrum Opportunities for the Wireless Future: From Direct-to-Device Satellite Applications to 6G Cellular

For next-generation wireless networks, both the upper mid-band and terahertz spectra are gaining global attention. This article provides an in-depth analysis of recent regulatory rulings and spectrum preferences issued by international standard bodies. We highlight promising frequency bands earmarked for 6G and beyond, and offer examples that illuminate the passive service protections and spectrum feasibility for coexistence between terrestrial and non-terrestrial wireless networks.

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arXiv2025

Multi-Stage Location Optimization Through Power Delay Profile Alignment Using Site-Specific Wireless Ray Tracing

Ray tracing (RT) simulations require accurate transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) location information from real-world measurements to accurately characterize wireless propagation behavior in an environment. Such wireless propagation measurements typically employ GPS-based logging for TX/RX locations, which can produce meter-level errors that lead to unreliable RT calibration and validation. These location misalignments cause inaccurate interactions between RT-generated multipath components (MPCs) and the modeled 3D environment, which lead to erroneous channel predictions, and severe discrepancies between simulated and measured power delay profiles (PDPs) and channel characteristics. Moreover, the same RT-generated PDPs using inaccurate locations result in calibration errors when adjusting material properties such as conductivity and permittivity. This paper presents a systematic multi-stage TX/RX location calibration framework to correct location errors and consequently align measured and simulated omnidirectional PDPs. Optimization is performed using a computationally efficient multi-stage grid search and the Powell method. Applying the location calibration framework to NYU WIRELESS urban-microcell (UMi) measurements at 6.75 GHz and 16.95 GHz corrected TX/RX location errors of up to 7 m. The framework reduced the composite loss function by 42.3\% for line-of-sight (LOS) and 13.5\% for non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios. Furthermore, peak power prediction accuracy improved by approximately 1 dB on average. Such improved geometric alignment enables accurate channel prediction, vital for beam management and infrastructure deployment for next-generation wireless networks.

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arXiv2025

ISAC Imaging by Channel State Information using Ray Tracing for Next Generation 6G

Integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) is emerging as a cornerstone technology for sixth generation (6G) wireless systems, unifying connectivity and environmental mapping through shared hardware, spectrum, and waveforms. The following paper presents an ISAC imaging framework utilizing channel state information (CSI) per-path components, transmitter (TX) positions, and receiver (RX) positions obtained from the calibrated NYURay ray tracer at 6.75 GHz in the upper mid-band. Our work shows how each resolvable multipath component can be extracted from CSI estimation and cast into an equivalent three-dimensional reflection point by fusing its angle and delay information, which is useful and challenging for multi-bounce reflections. The primary contribution of the paper is the two-segment reflection point optimization algorithm, which independently estimates the path lengths from the TX position and RX position to an equivalent reflection point (ERP) on the object surface, thus enabling precise geometric reconstruction. Subsequently, we aggregate the ERPs derived from multiple pairs of TX and RX positions, generating dense three dimensional point clouds representing the objects in the channel. Experimental results validate that the proposed ISAC imaging framework accurately reconstructs object surfaces, edges, and curved features. To the best of our knowledge, this paper provides the first demonstration of multi bounce ISAC imaging using wireless ray tracing at 6.75 GHz.

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arXiv2025

Theoretical Foundations of Waste Factor and Waste Figure with Applications to Fixed Wireless Access and Relay Systems

The exponential rise in energy consumption across wireless communication systems, particularly in anticipation of next-generation wireless systems, necessitates rigorous frameworks for evaluating and optimizing energy efficiency. This paper revisits and expands the concept of the Waste Factor (W), or Waste Figure (WF) in decibel scale, as a unifying metric that captures both utilized and wasted power in cascaded communication systems. Building upon its foundation in system-level power modeling, we integrate the Waste Factor into a refined formulation of the Consumption Factor (CF), the ratio of data rate to total consumed power, linking it directly to Shannon's theoretical limit on energy per bit. This analysis introduces additive energy waste into the classical energy-per-bit derivation through the Waste Factor term. We derive closed-form expressions for energy-per-bit expenditure in both direct and relay-assisted links and develop a decision rule to determine which communication path is more energy efficient under given conditions. While not modeled explicitly, Reflective Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) can be interpreted as a special case of relay-based architectures within this unified formulation, suggesting broader applicability of the Waste Factor framework to emerging 6G use cases. The framework is then extended to a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) scenario, where uplink and downlink asymmetries, traffic directionality, and component inefficiencies are jointly considered to analyze energy-optimal deployment strategies.

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arXiv2025

Upper Mid-Band Channel Measurements and Characterization at 6.75 GHz FR1(C) and 16.95 GHz FR3 in an Indoor Factory Scenario

This paper presents detailed radio propagation measurements for an indoor factory (InF) environment at 6.75 GHz and 16.95 GHz using a 1 GHz bandwidth channel sounder. Conducted at the NYU MakerSpace in the NYU Tandon School of Engineering campus in Brooklyn, NY, USA, our measurement campaign characterizes the radio propagation in a representative small factory with diverse machinery and open workspaces across 12 locations, comprising 5 line-of-sight (LOS) and 7 non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios. Analysis using the close-in (CI) free space path loss (FSPL) model with a 1 m reference distance reveals path loss exponents (PLE) below 2 in LOS at 6.75 GHz and 16.95 GHz, while in NLOS, PLE is similar to free-space propagation (e.g., PLE = 2). The RMS delay spread (DS) decreases at higher frequencies with a clear frequency dependence. Also, measurements show a wider RMS angular spread (AS) in NLOS compared to LOS at both frequency bands, with a decreasing trend as frequency increases. These observations in a dense-scatterer factory environment demonstrate frequency-dependent behavior that differs from existing industry-standard 3GPP models. Our findings provide crucial insights into complex propagation mechanisms in factory environments, essential for designing robust air interface and industrial wireless networks at the upper mid-band FR3 spectrum.

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arXiv2025

Point Data for Site-Specific Mid-band Radio Propagation Channel Statistics in the Indoor Hotspot (InH) Environment for 3GPP and Next Generation Alliance (NGA) Channel Modeling

Extensive work has been carried out in the past year by various organizations in an effort to determine standardized statistical channel impulse response (CIR) parameters for the newly-released FR3 mid-band spectrum (7.25 GHz -- 24.25 GHz). In this work, we show that the wireless community currently lacks a unified method for presenting key parameters required for transparency and utilization by several constituencies when presenting propagation data for use by standard bodies or third parties to create statistical CIR models. This paper aims to solve the existing problem by offering a standard method to provide key propagation parameters in a point-data format that supports both statistical and site-specific channel characterization. As shown here, the point-data format enables multiple contributors to create channel model standards or pool measurement data to create larger datasets for exploring ray-tracing (e.g. site-specific) channel modeling or training in AI/ML propagation work, and to ensure the most accurate model using a larger dataset that is continually expanded through measurement contributions. The point-data approach includes site-specific point-by-point propagation data while readily supporting the creation of commonly-used cumulative distribution function (CDF) plot. The indoor hotspot (InH) datasets collected in Spring 2024 at 6.75 GHz and 16.95 GHZ by NYU WIRELESS are provided for the first time in point-data form, to augment statistical models previously presented solely as CDFs, in order to demonstrate how a standardized approach to measurement data could allow others to utilize the site-specific locations and key channel parameters observed at each location, to better understand, vet, and build upon statistical or site-specific CIRs from the contributions of many different data sources.

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arXiv2025

Urban Outdoor Propagation Measurements and Channel Models at 6.75 GHz FR1(C) and 16.95 GHz FR3 Upper Mid-Band Spectrum for 5G and 6G

Global allocations in the upper mid-band spectrum (4--24 GHz) necessitate a comprehensive exploration of the propagation behavior to meet the promise of coverage and capacity. This paper presents an extensive Urban Microcell (UMi) outdoor propagation measurement campaign at 6.75 GHz and 16.95 GHz conducted in Downtown Brooklyn, USA, using a 1 GHz bandwidth sliding correlation channel sounder over 40--880 m propagation distance, encompassing seven Line of Sight (LOS) and 13 Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) locations. Analysis of the path loss (PL) reveals lower directional and omnidirectional PL exponents compared to mmWave and sub-THz frequencies in the UMi environment, using the close-in (CI) free space PL (FSPL) model with a 1 m reference distance. Additionally, a decreasing trend in root mean square (RMS) delay spread (DS) and angular spread (AS) with increasing frequency was observed. The measured NLOS RMS DS and RMS AS mean values (as computed by 3GPP methods) are found to be consistently lower compared to 3GPP model predictions. Point-data tables with corresponding site-specific environmental information for all measured statistics at each TX-RX location are provided to support the models and results. The spatio-temporal statistics presented here offer valuable insights for the design of next-generation wireless systems and networks.

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arXiv2025

Statistical and Deterministic RCS Characterization for ISAC Channel Modeling

In this study, we perform a statistical analysis of the radar cross section (RCS) for various test targets in an indoor factory at $25$-$28$ GHz, with the goal of formulating parameters that may be used for target identification and other sensing applications for future wireless systems. The analysis is conducted based on measurements in monostatic and bistatic configurations for bistatic angles of $20^\circ$, $40^\circ$, and $60^\circ$, which are functions of transmitter-receiver (T-R) and target positions, via accurate $3$dB beamwidth of $10^\circ$ in both azimuth and elevation planes. The test targets include unmanned aerial vehicles, an autonomous mobile robot, and a robotic arm. We utilize parametric statistical distributions to fit the measured RCS data. The analysis reveals that the \textit{lognormal and gamma distributions} are effective in modeling the RCS of the test targets over different reflecting points of the target itself, i.e. when target is in motion. Additionally, we provide a framework for evaluating the deterministic bistatic RCS of a rectangular sheet of laminated wood, due to its widespread use in indoor hotspot environments. Novel deterministic and statistical RCS models are evaluated, incorporating dependencies on the bistatic angle, T-R distance ($2$m -$10$m) and the target. The results demonstrate that some proposed RCS models accurately fit the measured data, highlighting their applicability in bistatic configurations.

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arXiv2024

Angular Spread Statistics for 6.75 GHz FR1(C) and 16.95 GHz FR3 Mid-Band Frequencies in an Indoor Hotspot Environment

We present detailed multipath propagation spatial statistics for next-generation wireless systems operating at lower and upper mid-band frequencies spanning 6--24 GHz. The large-scale spatial characteristics of the wireless channel include Azimuth angular Spread of Departure (ASD) and Zenith angular Spread of Departure (ZSD) of multipath components (MPC) from a transmitter and the Azimuth angular Spread of Arrival (ASA) and Zenith angular Spread of Arrival (ZSA) at a receiver. The angular statistics calculated from measurements were compared with industry-standard 3GPP models, and ASD and ASA values were found to be in close agreement at both 6.75 GHz and 16.95 GHz. Measured LOS ASD was found larger than 3GPP ASD indicating more diverse MPC departure directions in the azimuth. ZSA and ZSD were observed smaller than the 3GPP modeling results as most multipath arrivals and departures during measurements were recorded at the boresight antenna elevation. The wide angular spreads indicate a multipath-rich spatial propagation at 6.75 GHz and 16.95 GHz, showing greater promise for the implementation of MIMO beamforming systems in the mid-band spectrum.

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arXiv2024

Using Waste Factor to Optimize Energy Efficiency in Multiple-Input Single-Output (MISO) and Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) Systems

This paper introduces Waste Factor (W) and Waste Figure (WF) to assess power efficiency in any multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) or single-input multiple-output (SIMO) or multiple-input single-output (MISO) cascaded communication system. This paper builds upon the new theory of Waste Factor, which systematically models added wasted power in any cascade for parallel systems such as MISO, SIMO, and MIMO systems, which are prevalent in current wireless networks. Here, we also show the advantage of W compared to conventional metrics for quantifying and analyzing energy efficiency. This work explores the utility of W in assessing energy efficiency in communication channels, within Radio Access Networks (RANs).

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arXiv2024

Waste Factor and Waste Figure: A Unified Theory for Modeling and Analyzing Wasted Power in Radio Access Networks for Improved Sustainability

This paper introduces Waste Factor (W), also denoted as Waste Figure (WF) in dB, a promising new metric for quantifying energy efficiency in a wide range of circuits and systems applications, including data centers and RANs. Also, the networks used to connect data centers and AI computing engines with users for ML applications must become more power efficient. This paper illustrates the limitations of existing energy efficiency metrics that inadequately capture the intricate energy dynamics of RAN components. We delineate the methodology for applying W across various network configurations, including MISO, SIMO, and MIMO systems, and demonstrate the effectiveness of W in identifying energy optimization opportunities. Our findings reveal that W not only offers nuanced insights into the energy performance of RANs but also facilitates informed decision-making for network design and operational efficiency. Furthermore, we show how W can be integrated with other KPIs to guide the development of optimal strategies for enhancing network energy efficiency under different operational conditions. Additionally, we present simulation results for a distributed multi-user MIMO system at 3.5, 17, and 28 GHz, demonstrating overall network power efficiency on a per square kilometer basis, and show how overall W decreases with an increasing number of base stations and increasing carrier frequency. This paper shows that adopting W as a figure of merit can significantly contribute to the sustainability and energy optimization of next-generation wireless communication networks, paving the way for greener and more sustainable, energy-efficient 5G and 6G technologies.

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arXiv2024

CmWave and Sub-THz: Key Radio Enablers and Complementary Spectrum for 6G

Sixth-generation (6G) networks are poised to revolutionize communication by exploring alternative spectrum options, aiming to capitalize on strengths while mitigating limitations in current fifth-generation (5G) spectrum. This paper explores the potential opportunities and emerging trends for cmWave and sub-THz spectra as key radio enablers. This paper poses and answers three key questions regarding motivation of additional spectrum to explore the strategic implementation and benefits of cmWave and sub-THz spectra. Also, we show using case studies how these complementary spectrum bands will enable new applications in 6G, such as integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), re-configurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) and non-terrestrial networks (NTN). Numerical simulations reveal that the ISAC performance of cmWave and sub-THz spectra outperforms that of existing 5G spectrum, including sub-6 GHz and mmWave. Additionally, we illustrate the effective interplay between RIS and NTN to counteract the effects of high attenuation at sub-THz frequencies. Finally, ongoing standardization endeavors, challenges and promising directions are elucidated for these complementary spectrum bands.

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arXiv2024

The Evolution of Applications, Hardware Design, and Channel Modeling for Terahertz (THz) Band Communications and Sensing: Ready for 6G?

For decades, the terahertz (THz) frequency band had been primarily explored in the context of radar, imaging, and spectroscopy, where multi-gigahertz (GHz) and even THz-wide channels and the properties of terahertz photons offered attractive target accuracy, resolution, and classification capabilities. Meanwhile, the exploitation of the terahertz band for wireless communication had originally been limited due to several reasons, including (i) no immediate need for such high data rates available via terahertz bands and (ii) challenges in designing sufficiently high power terahertz systems at reasonable cost and efficiency, leading to what was often referred to as "the terahertz gap". This roadmap paper first reviews the evolution of the hardware design approaches for terahertz systems, including electronic, photonic, and plasmonic approaches, and the understanding of the terahertz channel itself, in diverse scenarios, ranging from common indoors and outdoors scenarios to intra-body and outer-space environments. The article then summarizes the lessons learned during this multi-decade process and the cutting-edge state-of-the-art findings, including novel methods to quantify power efficiency, which will become more important in making design choices. Finally, the manuscript presents the authors' perspective and insights on how the evolution of terahertz systems design will continue toward enabling efficient terahertz communications and sensing solutions as an integral part of next-generation wireless systems.

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arXiv2024

Towards a Low-SWaP 1024-beam Digital Array: A 32-beam Sub-system at 5.8 GHz

Millimeter wave communications require multibeam beamforming in order to utilize wireless channels that suffer from obstructions, path loss, and multi-path effects. Digital multibeam beamforming has maximum degrees of freedom compared to analog phased arrays. However, circuit complexity and power consumption are important constraints for digital multibeam systems. A low-complexity digital computing architecture is proposed for a multiplication-free 32-point linear transform that approximates multiple simultaneous RF beams similar to a discrete Fourier transform (DFT). Arithmetic complexity due to multiplication is reduced from the FFT complexity of $\mathcal{O}(N\: \log N)$ for DFT realizations, down to zero, thus yielding a 46% and 55% reduction in chip area and dynamic power consumption, respectively, for the $N=32$ case considered. The paper describes the proposed 32-point DFT approximation targeting a 1024-beams using a 2D array, and shows the multiplierless approximation and its mapping to a 32-beam sub-system consisting of 5.8 GHz antennas that can be used for generating 1024 digital beams without multiplications. Real-time beam computation is achieved using a Xilinx FPGA at 120 MHz bandwidth per beam. Theoretical beam performance is compared with measured RF patterns from both a fixed-point FFT as well as the proposed multiplier-free algorithm and are in good agreement.

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arXiv2024

Propagation measurements and channel models in Indoor Environment at 6.75 GHz FR1(C) and 16.95 GHz FR3 Upper-mid band Spectrum for 5G and 6G

New spectrum allocations in the 4--8 GHz FR1(C) and 7--24 GHz FR3 mid-band frequency spectrum are being considered for 5G/6G cellular deployments. This paper presents results from the world's first comprehensive indoor hotspot (InH) propagation measurement campaign at 6.75 GHz and 16.95 GHz in the NYU WIRELESS Research Center using a 1 GHz wideband channel sounder system over distances from 11 to 97 m in line-of-sight (LOS) and non-LOS (NLOS). Analysis of directional and omnidirectional path loss (PL) using the close-in free space 1 m reference distance model shows a familiar waveguiding effect in LOS with an omnidirectional path loss exponent (PLE) of 1.40 at 6.75 GHz and 1.32 at 16.95 GHz. Compared to mmWave frequencies, the directional NLOS PLEs are lower at FR3 and FR1(C), while omnidirectional NLOS PLEs are similar, suggesting better propagation distances at lower frequencies for links with omnidirectional antennas at both ends of the links, but also, importantly, showing that higher gain antennas will offer better coverage at higher frequencies when antenna apertures are kept same over all frequencies. Comparison of the omnidirectional and directional RMS delay spread (DS) at FR1(C) and FR3 with mmWave frequencies indicates a clear decrease with increasing frequency. The mean spatial lobe and omnidirectional RMS angular spread (AS) is found to be wider at 6.75 GHz compared to 16.95 GHz indicating more multipath components are found in the azimuthal spatial domain at lower frequencies.

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