Millimeter Wave Communications

Abstract

Millimeter wave (mmWave) technologies promise to revolutionize wireless networks by enabling multi-gigabit data rates. However, they suffer from high attenuation, and hence have to use highly directional antennas to focus their power on the receiver. Existing radios have to scan the space to find the best alignment between the transmitter’s and receiver’s beams, a process that takes up to a few seconds. This delay is problematic in a network setting where the base station needs to quickly switch between users and accommodate mobile clients.