Sponsored by the IEEE ComSoc DLT program, I had the Distinguished Lecture Tour in the Singapore and Malaysia Chapters from June 22 to June 29, 2024. During the tour, I visited many universities in Singapore and Malaysia and gave three Distinguished Lecture Talks at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Singapore University of Technology and Design (STUD). Each talk attracted around 20-40 attendees, including professionals and students.
Summary of DLT Lectures
“Simultaneously Transmitting and Reflecting Surfaces (STARS) for 360° Coverage by Intelligent Surfaces,” 11:15 am–12:00 pm June 25, 2024, UTM.
In this Distinguished Lecture, I introduced the novel concept of simultaneously transmitting and reflecting surfaces (STARS). First, the STAR basics were introduced. In particular, the fundamental signal modeling, performance limit characterization, practical operating protocols, joint beam-forming design, and channel estimation were discussed. Then, the multi-functional STARS platform for 6G was introduced, including sensing STARS, amplifying STARS, and cache STARS. Furthermore, several promising case studies employing STARS were put forward, including STARS-NOMA, STARS-THz, spatial analysis for STARS, and federated learning with STARS. Finally, the standardization and commercial progress of STARS and research opportunities and problems were discussed.
“From Near Field Communications to Near-Field Sensing (NISE),” 12:00–12:30 pm June 25, 2024, UTM.
In this Distinguished Lecture, I introduced the concept of near-field sensing (NISE) for 6G networks by discussing its fundamentals, motivations, challenges, and key technologies. I first introduced the basics of sensing, revealing the impact of system parameters on sensing resolution. Then, I discussed the basic modeling of NISE, followed by the key motivations and challenges. Furthermore, I highlighted two key applications of NISE: 1) enabling distance sensing in the spatial domain beyond the bandwidth limitations of conventional far-field systems, and 2) enabling the determination of full motion states—both radial and transverse velocities—of moving targets, thereby streamlining the process of target tracking. Finally, I discussed the potential opportunities and unresolved challenges in the field of NISE.
“Near-Field Communications: What Will Be Different?,” 11:00 am–12:00 pm June27, 2024, SUTD.
In this Distinguished Lecture Talk, I discussed the design dilemma of “What will be different between near-field communications (NFC) and far-field communications (FFC)?” from four perspectives. (1) From the channel modeling perspective, the differences between near-field and far-field channel models were discussed. (2) From the performance analysis perspective, analytical results were provided for characterizing the degrees of freedom and the power scaling laws in the near-field region. (3) From the beamforming perspective, the features of far-field beamsteering and near-field beamfocusing were compared. A couple of new beamforming structures for NFC were also introduced. (4) From the application perspective, several new designs were discussed in the context of promising next-generation technologies in NFC. Finally, research opportunities and problems were discussed.
Extra Lecture Activities
Meanwhile, I had the chance to attend the IEEE ComSoc Singapore 6G Wireless Summit on June 28, 2024. During the conference, I attended talks delivered by world-leading researchers on Integrated Computing and Communications in the era of Large Foundation Models and Generative AI.
I also had time to visit attractions in Johor Bahru (Malaysia) and Singapore. On my way back from Malaysia to Singapore, I saw the Istana Bukit Serene and Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque. I also visited Merlion Park in Singapore and saw the beautiful night scene.
Impressions and Summary of My DLT
IEEE ComSoc DLT is a great program for promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration. On the one hand, DLT allows me to promote my recent research by visiting different universities. On the other hand, I also learned new knowledge and ideas during the DLT through the brainstorming discussion with other researchers. During the visit, I was impressed by the solid research in wireless communications conducted by Prof. Bruce Leow’s team at UTM and Prof. Lingjie Duan’s team at SUTD. Their team members are talented and rising stars, a new generation of talent for next-generation wireless communications.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the IEEE ComSoc staff who approved my DLT application, Prof. Bruce Leow and Prof. Lingjie Duan, and their team members who hosted my visit to each university. I would also like to encourage more researchers to apply for the IEEE ComSoc DL!
