By Christina Clark
Collaboration and broadening participation are two core elements of the SpectrumX center’s activities. Member institutions of SpectrumX, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Spectrum Innovation, have opportunities to work with one another in ways that may not have been possible before the center was established. This summer, a graduate student from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez (UPRM) and member of the Center for Advanced Radio Sciences and Engineering (CARSE), traveled to the University of Virginia (UVA) to continue research on radio frequency (RF) engineering, addressing challenges in the electromagnetic spectrum that support 5G cellular and broadband communications services.
Larry Theran is a Ph.D. candidate studying with SpectrumX research partner Rafael A. Rodriguez-Solis, professor at the Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering at UPRM. Theran works with CARSE, an NSF-sponsored center enabling development of integrated tools to solve RF interference issues with equipment in the scientific community at UPRM. He is the first student to connect the work of CARSE and SpectrumX.
“Being able to work across institutional boundaries provides more opportunities for innovation and career development,” said Nick Laneman, center director for SpectrumX, co-director of the Notre Dame Wireless Institute, and professor of electrical engineering at the University of Notre Dame. “Connecting students hungry for more knowledge and experience to a diverse array of researchers is one of many things we are proud that SpectrumX facilitates.”
Theran completed his master’s degree in physics at UPRM, working in optics and material sciences. As he began his Ph.D. candidacy, his work turned to signal processing with machine learning and then to the analog side of signal receivers.
According to Rodriguez-Solis, Theran’s work piqued his interest, and he began exploring potential collaborations to expand his work.
“What we are doing is putting together a test bed at CARSE for radio frequency monitoring and mitigation around a microwave radiometer. The system works between 20-30 and 50-60 GHz. We have developed the sensors for the monitoring of these frequencies, keeping them low-cost and small so that we can localize their deployment,” said Rodriguez-Solis.
The RF spectrum between 20-30 GHz is known as the Ka Band, which is generally used for communications, especially utilizing satellite uplinks. Sensing in this frequency range helps determine the coverage and power of satellite internet service and satellite and 5G cellular service. The V Band, where 50-60 GHz are located, is designated for unlicensed wireless systems, including wireless broadband and satellite constellations, like SpaceX.
Keeping the sensors low in cost means that in the future, more people can use these sensors to do their own sensing research at small and large scales.
This summer, Theran traveled from UPRM to the University of Virginia to continue his studies in collaboration with Steven Bowers, SpectrumX research partner and associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Bowers’s work largely focuses on internet of things, millimeter-wave and terahertz electronics, and low-power design, all aspects of Theran’s research.
Theran’s work at the University of Virginia will span 10 weeks this summer.
“This connection will be a good opportunity to expand my network, and hopefully help me find the next steps as I look forward to post-doc opportunities,” Theran said.
“This connection presents a valuable opportunity to expand my network. Interacting with Professor Bowers’s students offers a fantastic platform for learning and acquiring new skills that will benefit both my professional and personal life. I hope this experience will help me identify my next steps as I pursue post-doc opportunities. Additionally, actively participating in the Integrated Electromagnetics, Circuits, and Systems (IECS) Lab research group at UVA will be an outstanding experience, enriching my research at the University of Puerto Rico,” Theran said.
Learn more about SpectrumX’s opportunities for students on SpectrumX’s Get Involved page.
About SpectrumX
SpectrumX is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of its Spectrum Innovation Initiative, under grant number AST 21-32700. SpectrumX is the world’s largest academic hub where all radio spectrum stakeholders can innovate, collaborate, and contribute to maximizing social welfare of this precious resource.
To learn more about SpectrumX, please visit spectrumx.org.
Contact:
Christina Clark, Research Communications Specialist
SpectrumX / Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame
cclark26@nd.edu / 574.631.2665
spectrumx.org
