Advanced Signal Generation And Detection System For Next-generation Ultra-wideband Communication Networks
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
Department Name: Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Abstract
The research is focused on one of our society's greatest technical challenges and economic drivers with impact on knowledge, economy, society and people as well as business and government activities. It aims to transform the development of the information and communication infrastructure. A high-capacity, flexible, cost-effective and efficient telecommunications and data infrastructure is of great national and international importance. The ability to communicate seamlessly, without delay, requires intelligent communications networks with high capacity, available when and where it is needed. To achieve this requires research advances in ultrawideband wireless and optical networks, as well as intelligent transceivers, new ultrawideband optical devices and algorithms. This is a fast-moving and internationally fiercely competitive field and to maintain international leadership requires the capability of not only making theoretical advances, but the also the ability of demonstrating these experimentally.
Our vision is to create an advanced, world leading signal generation and detection test-bed for advanced communications systems research. The key feature of the proposed system are the ultra-low noise, high-resolution capture and analysis of complex broadband signals, more than quadrupling the achievable network capacity. This unique facility will allow the investigation of optical and wireless networks over a wide range of time- and length scales, including long-haul networks, data centres and enable the research into the ultra-wideband signal manipulation for the next-generation optical & wireless access networks. It will enable UCL and UK to consolidate and enhance its internationally leading position in communications systems research supporting a wide range of other areas.
Our vision is to create an advanced, world leading signal generation and detection test-bed for advanced communications systems research. The key feature of the proposed system are the ultra-low noise, high-resolution capture and analysis of complex broadband signals, more than quadrupling the achievable network capacity. This unique facility will allow the investigation of optical and wireless networks over a wide range of time- and length scales, including long-haul networks, data centres and enable the research into the ultra-wideband signal manipulation for the next-generation optical & wireless access networks. It will enable UCL and UK to consolidate and enhance its internationally leading position in communications systems research supporting a wide range of other areas.
Organisations
- UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON (Lead Research Organisation)
- NICT National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (Collaboration)
- Xtera Communications (Collaboration)
- Keio University (Collaboration)
- Federico Santa MarÃa Technical University (Collaboration)
- Microsoft Research (Collaboration)
- KDDI (Collaboration)
- OFS (Collaboration)
- Technical University of Denmark (Collaboration)
- Technical University of Dresden (Collaboration)
- Corning Inc. (Collaboration)
- Polatis (Collaboration)
- Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (Collaboration)
- KDDI Foundation (Collaboration)
- State University of Campinas (Collaboration)
- Nokia Bell Labs (Project Partner)
- KDDI R&D Laboratories (Project Partner)
- Xtera Communications Limited (Project Partner)
- Huawei Technologies Co Limited (Global) (Project Partner)
Publications
Jing X
(2021)
Energy Aware Trajectory Optimization for Aerial Base Stations
in IEEE Transactions on Communications
Zhang J
(2021)
Beam Drift in Millimeter Wave Links: Beamwidth Tradeoffs and Learning Based Optimization
in IEEE Transactions on Communications
Ives DJ
(2021)
Distributed abstraction and verification of an installed optical fibre network.
in Scientific reports
Gerard T
(2021)
AI-optimised tuneable sources for bandwidth-scalable, sub-nanosecond wavelength switching.
in Optics express
Salem A
(2021)
Rate Splitting With Finite Constellations: The Benefits of Interference Exploitation vs Suppression
in IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society
Wakayama Y
(2021)
2048-QAM transmission at 15 GBd over 100 km using geometric constellation shaping.
in Optics express
Liu Z.
(2021)
Clock-synchronized clock and data recovery to enable sub-nanosecond optically-switched networks
in Optics InfoBase Conference Papers
Zhou Z.
(2021)
Clock Synchronized Transmission of 51.2 GBd Optical Packets for Optically Switched Data Center Interconnects
in 2021 Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition, OFC 2021 - Proceedings
Liu F
(2021)
A Tutorial on Joint Radar and Communication Transmission for Vehicular Networks-Part III: Predictive Beamforming Without State Models
in IEEE Communications Letters
Salem A
(2021)
Error Probability Analysis and Power Allocation for Interference Exploitation Over Rayleigh Fading Channels
in IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications
Sohanpal R
(2021)
Parametric frequency comb generation using silicon core fiber
Zhou Z.
(2021)
Clock synchronized transmission of 51.2 GBd optical packets for optically switched data center interconnects
in Optics InfoBase Conference Papers
Yi W
(2021)
Frequency-Modulated Chirp Signals for Single-Photodiode Based Coherent LiDAR System
in Journal of Lightwave Technology
Zhang J
(2021)
Learning-Based Predictive Transmitter-Receiver Beam Alignment in Millimeter Wave Fixed Wireless Access Links
in IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing
Lyu G
(2021)
Probabilistic Constructive Interference Precoding for Imperfect CSIT
in IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology
Liu Z.
(2021)
Clock-Synchronized Clock and Data Recovery to Enable Sub-Nanosecond Optically-Switched Networks
in 2021 Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition, OFC 2021 - Proceedings
| Description | - Enormous progress made despite COVID19 disruptions - Carried out rigorous procurement procedures purchasing, installing and testing 110 GHz Keysight UXR oscilloscope - Specified and procured/set up and tested 110 GHz optical receiver, establishing effective collaboration with Heinrich Hertz Institute - Specified and ordered high-performance DACs/arbitrary waveform generator to enable world-leading experimental set up to be achieved - Studied the comparison of probabilistically and geometrically shaped constellations in transmission over varying transmission distances - Achieved a world-leading result 8× 26 GBd DP-GS256QAM super-channel transmission with a net data rate of 2.29 Tb/s - received after 75 km transmission using a single 211-GHz optical receiver. The use of digital pre-distortion and tailored geometric constellation shaping led to an improvement of 1.2 bit/4D-sym in the achievable information rate. - A demonstration of this signal generation and detection and its integration with the National Dark Fibre Facility was demonstrated recently at the Optical Fibre Communication Conference in San Diego in March 2023. - Results of all experiments have been fed into the TRANSNET Virtual Laboratory (TVL) database to be used for training of AI-based systems - Designed and developed the ultrawideband optical communications system - integrated with the EPSRC National Dark Fibre Facility and one of only two groups in the world to transmit >200Tbit/s over 40km and approx 100 Tbit/s over 1000km. Highest wireless data rate transmitted at just under 1Tbit/s covering almost 150GHz. |
| Exploitation Route | A high-speed test-bed is essential for next-generation, adaptive, low-delay, high-speed broadband & intelligent digital infrastructure. The test-bed is open to industry and academia in the UK and beyond for the testing of next-generation devices, systems and network concepts and there is expected to be significant take-up in this unique capabilities, both in UCL and remotely over the NDFF. |
| Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Electronics Financial Services and Management Consultancy Security and Diplomacy |
| URL | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10159410/ |
| Description | Findings used widely in the definition of the government policy on telecommunications, for example, on setting up the equipment diversification committee and the development of new telecommunications hubs. Major inputs into telecommunications policy and training of postgraduate/postdoctoral researchers in key skills on this unique facility. The research in this project and the technical capability have put the UK at the forefront of research capabilities in this important field and have led to many collaborations with key carriers and content providers inc Microsoft, KDDI and many others. The research has served to highlight the importance of optical communications as a critical infrastructure has directly contributed to the UK Government policy changes, the inquiry on 'UK telecommunications infrastructure and the UK's domestic capability', the formation of Telecoms Diversification Task Force and the Telecoms Supply Chain Diversification (TSCD) Advisory Council, as well as the setting up of UKTIN (The UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN) and the restructuring of DCMS. We have established a unique facility in high-speed optical and wireless optics research & development which is open to industrial and academic partners and supports the development of next-generation systems and networks. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics |
| Impact Types | Societal Economic Policy & public services |
| Description | UKTIN Contributions |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | https://uktin.net/whats-happening/resources/strategic-working-group-report-future-networks |
| Description | WHITE PAPER on Co-creating the UK's longer-term telecommunications research vision |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| Impact | The white paper proposes with a number of recommendations. (1) to create a UK Long Term Telecommunications Research Strategy Forum to advise the Government on the long-term research priorities, opportunities and risks for the telecommunication domain; (2) to create a National Centre for Translational Telecommunications Research; (3) to create a funding framework that incentivizes collaboration-for-impact excellence alongside competition-for-excellence, and finally; (4) to develop recommended frameworks and approaches to help lower the barriers to collaboration between academic institutions and industrial exploitation of academic research. Putting these into practice will improve the digital communications infrastructure and the continued R&D to sustain its development! |
| Description | 6G-Multiband Wireless and Optical Signaling for Integrated Communications, Sensing and Localization |
| Amount | € 4,900,000 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 101139176 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Belgium |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 12/2026 |
| Description | Cities Partnership Grant with KTH entitled "Integrated Sensing and Communications for Perceptive Smart Cities" |
| Amount | £5,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Kunliga Tekniska Hoegskolan |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | Sweden |
| Start | 03/2021 |
| End | 07/2021 |
| Description | Connected Sensing Techniques: Cooperative Radar Networks Using Joint Radar and Communication Waveforms (ConSenT) |
| Amount | € 220,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | European Union |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 11/2023 |
| End | 10/2025 |
| Description | DASA Emerging Innovations Grant with QinetiQ entitled "Design and Testing of Low Probability Of Intercept (LPI) Waveforms For Joint Radar And Communications" |
| Amount | £98,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2021 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | Design and performance analysis of network-level ISAC: More than Integration (NetISAC) |
| Amount | € 236,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | European Union |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 05/2023 |
| End | 05/2025 |
| Description | Donation of Keysight O-band laser |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Keysight Technologies |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 06/2024 |
| Description | EPSRC D2U Pre-commercialisation Grant |
| Amount | £97,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Qinetiq |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2021 |
| End | 04/2022 |
| Description | Enabling Power Efficient Optical Communication through Novel Digital Signal Processing (EPIC DSP) |
| Amount | £625,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Royal Academy of Engineering |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Extremely Wideband Optical Fibre Communication Systems |
| Amount | £738,958 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/W015714/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2022 |
| End | 01/2025 |
| Description | Impact Acceleration Award |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2021 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | Integrated Sensing and communications for future vehicuLAr environments - a Network of Doctoral Students [ISLANDS] |
| Amount | € 2,700,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | European Union |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 12/2027 |
| Description | Multiband Wireless and Optical Signalling for Integrated Communications, Sensing and Localisation [6G-MUSICAL] |
| Amount | € 4,000,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Belgium |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 12/2026 |
| Description | Photonically-synthesized Digital-to-Analogue Conversion |
| Amount | £368,844 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/R041792/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2018 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | The Royal Society Research Professorship |
| Amount | £1,400,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Royal Society |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Transmission Channels Measurements and Communication System Design for Future MM-wave Communications (mm Wave TRACCS) |
| Amount | £551,189 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/W026252/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2022 |
| End | 04/2026 |
| Description | Ultra-low latency clock-synchronised transceivers for future 6G radio access networks |
| Amount | £625,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Royal Academy of Engineering |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2022 |
| End | 07/2027 |
| Title | Communications with Guaranteed Low Latency and Bandwidth using Frequency Referenced Multiplexing |
| Description | This is the dataset for Communications with Guaranteed Low Latency and Bandwidth using Frequency Referenced Multiplexing |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://rdr.ucl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Communications_with_Guaranteed_Low_Latency_and_Bandwidth_usin... |
| Title | Communications with Guaranteed Low Latency and Bandwidth using Frequency Referenced Multiplexing |
| Description | This is the dataset for Communications with Guaranteed Low Latency and Bandwidth using Frequency Referenced Multiplexing |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://rdr.ucl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Communications_with_Guaranteed_Low_Latency_and_Bandwidth_usin... |
| Description | Aleksandr Razumov visiting PhD student |
| Organisation | Technical University of Denmark |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We invited Aleksandr into the group as a visiting researcher for 4 months, providing access to our lab facilities and the guidance of our academic staff. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They allowed Aleksandr to work with us for the duration of the visit and contribute to projects led by our researchers. |
| Impact | Aleksandr worked on noise analysis of frequency comb and dual-comb using coherent receiver and comparison with classic method, working with Dr Zhixin Liu. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Astrid Lozada visiting PhD student |
| Organisation | Federico Santa MarÃa Technical University |
| Country | Chile |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We invited Astrid into the group as a visiting researcher for 4 months, providing access to our lab facilities and the guidance of our academic staff. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They allowed Astrid to work with us for the duration of the visit and contribute to projects led by our researchers. |
| Impact | Astrid worked on dynamic resource allocation of multi-mode fibre networks. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Huber+Suhner Polatis |
| Organisation | Polatis |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Designed multi-core fibre switch in 2019-2020. Designed and demonstrated Data Center network using optical switches during the same period. Polatis is a project partner. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provided optical switches and some parameters of the switch constraints. |
| Impact | Numerous papers in top conferences and journals. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | KDDI |
| Organisation | KDDI |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Performed joint experiments to apply ultra-wideband transmission demonstrations using a variety of amplification techniques. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Major contribution of state-of-the art equipments for experiments |
| Impact | Publications in top conferences and journals |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | KDDI Research collaboration |
| Organisation | KDDI Foundation |
| Department | KDDI Research & Development Laboratories |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Knowledge and research exchange. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provided components for research experiments. Also the exchange of visiting researcher Yuta Wakayama, who contributed to a number of papers and conferences. The one year exchange came to an end in summer 2019. |
| Impact | Conference papers, already referenced in RF. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | MERL |
| Organisation | Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Ocassionally we provide our research facilities and lab equipment to partners from MERL to conduct a variety of testing. |
| Collaborator Contribution | MERL is a valuable research partner with which we exchange and share ideas particularly in the area of DSP for high-capacity optical receivers. Recently our collaboration was features in an official press release from Mitstubishi, one of 15 highly competitve press news to come out of the company during a press conference in Japan in Feb 2016 ( see http://www.mitsubishielectric.com/news/2016/0215.html?cid=rss). MERL also provides a yearly charitable donation of $20 000 to the Optical Networks Group. In March 2016, MERL pledged to donate $25,000 to the UCL Optical Networks Group every year for a 4-year period. This has now started and work is in progress with new outcomes. |
| Impact | publications, press release ( see http://www.mitsubishielectric.com/news/2016/0215.html?cid=rss), media coverage, joint experiments |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Mareli Rodigheri visiting PhD student |
| Organisation | State University of Campinas |
| Country | Brazil |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We welcomed Mareli as a visiting researcher to the group for a year during her PhD. We gave her access to our lab facilities and the guidance of our academic staff. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They allowed Mareli to work with us for the duration of the visit, and contribute to projects led by our researchers. |
| Impact | Mareli worked primarily with Filipe Ferreira and Fabio Barbosa on multimode fibres, co-authoring a number of publications. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Microsoft |
| Organisation | Microsoft Research |
| Department | Microsoft Research Cambridge |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Secondment of staff (UNLOC Co-Is) Dr Benn Thomsen, Dr Phil Watts and PhD students to Microsoft Research Labs Cambridge for 6/12 months and subsequent consultancy on high speed optics in high capacity data centre design. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Funding of one PhD student (fully funded studentship) |
| Impact | Joint publications and internal Microsoft Research programme on the role of optics and high-capacity data centre design. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Microsoft collaboration |
| Organisation | Microsoft Research |
| Department | Microsoft Research Cambridge |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | John Nuqui, PhD student, recruited at our Cambridge site. He has made significant contributions to our research agenda. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Microsoft have provided the TRANSNET team with excellent expertise, in knowledge exchange particularly. |
| Impact | Ongoing |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | NICT - National Institute of Information and Communications Technology |
| Organisation | NICT National Institute of Information and Communications Technology |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Performed joint experiments to apply ultra-wideband transmission demonstrations using a variety of amplification techniques. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provision of equipments and proposed contribution in experiments |
| Impact | Publications in top journals |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Ongoing Corning Collaboration |
| Organisation | Corning Inc. |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The Optical Networks Group has been collaborating with Corning, a global innovator in material science, since ONG's inception in 1994 to address the biggest challenges facing the communications sector. Among many successes from the collaboration, is the development and demonstration of long-distance transmission in challenging terrains, such as forests and deserts. Corning and UCL continue to jointly anticipate and address the sector's biggest future challenges, developing technologies to lead on the evolution of optical communications infrastructure. UCL brings world class researchers and expertise to help predict future needs of the industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Over decades of collaboration, Corning have provided the group with world leading optical fibres, contributing to the success of the research. Professor Polina Bayvel describes the collaboration as a two-way exchange of information, where both sides can learn from the other. |
| Impact | Focusing industry on future demands of optical communications, and anticipating needs before they arise so that infrastructure can develop at an appropriate speed. The academics look into what future generations will require from the communications infrastructure, and allow the industry partners to get a head start with the direction and purpose of their products. Conversely, the industry partners provide the research team with cutting-edge equipment and guidance, allowing our work to continue to push to the forefront of research. |
| Description | Research Exchange - Dr Yuta Wakayama, KDDI |
| Organisation | KDDI Foundation |
| Department | KDDI Research & Development Laboratories |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The TRANSNET team have provided their research expertise to Dr Yuta Wakayama and facilitated access to world-class laboratory facilities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | KDDI provided their Engineer to the Programme for a period of one year, allowing active knowledge exchange between researchers across the partner academic institutions. Dr Yuya specialises in multi-core optical fibres, an important research area for our team. |
| Impact | Ongoing |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Shumpei Kimura visiting PhD student |
| Organisation | Keio University |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Shumpei was welcomed into the group for a month as a visiting researcher, gaining access to our lab facilities and guidance of academic staff. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They allowed Shumpei to work with us and contribute to projects led by our researchers. |
| Impact | Shumpei was involved with a study of Rayleigh/Brillouin scattering's impact using low linewidth lasers over single mode fibres, working with Dr Zhixin Liu. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Stefan Rothe visiting PhD student |
| Organisation | Technical University of Dresden |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We welcomed Stefan Rothe as a visiting research scientist in the group for 4 months, providing him access to our lab facilities and the guidance of our researchers. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They allowed Stefan to work with us for the duration of the visit and contribute to projects led by our researchers. |
| Impact | Stefan worked primarily with Fabio Barbosa and Filipe Ferreira on few-mode fiber multiplexers and multiplane light conversion. He co-authored papers with these researchers and the collaboration is still ongoing. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Vitaly Mikhailov visits |
| Organisation | OFS |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Vitaly Mikhailov visits the group for 2 weeks every 2-3 months for band transmission and amplifier design collaboration. The visits involve joint device and experiment development and implementation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Vitaly Mikhailov visits the group for 2 weeks every 2-3 months for band transmission and amplifier design collaboration. The visits involve joint device and experiment development and implementation. |
| Impact | The collaboration has resulted in the building of 3 bismuth doped fibre amplifiers for use in O-band , E-band and S-band transmission experiments. |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Xtera |
| Organisation | Xtera Communications |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Expertise on next generation on optical communication with high capacity using wide-band amplifiers. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise on wide-band Raman amplifiers in long-haul optical fibre communication transmission systems. Contributor to PhD studentship funding through industrial PhD CASE studentship. |
| Impact | Impetus to new activity on wide-band optical amplifiers, opening up new frontiers in high-capacity transmission, setting a new record on capacity. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Xtera |
| Organisation | Xtera Communications |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Collaborated on a number of papers |
| Collaborator Contribution | £25,000 plus a wideband tunable laser with approximated value of £40,000, to further research into ultra-wideband transmission systems |
| Impact | Ongoing |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Airbus engagement and seminar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to Airbus about research progress to explore potential in satellite communications. Disseminating research outputs on ultra-low noise signal generator and its potential to SATCOM. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | DCMS 6G forum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk "Learning to Communicate" to UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) / Spectrum Policy Workshop "6G: Technology Enablers for Spectrum & Energy Efficient Wireless Access" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.techuk.org/what-we-deliver/events/6g-technology-enablers-for-spectrum-energy-efficient-w... |
| Description | Huawei Lavender Summit 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The aim of this workshop was to promote exchanges among professionals from both the academia and the industry, to generate new ideas and to think about future development paths together. World-leading academic and industry researchers from different European countries shared concepts in the latest technological innovation and jointly promoted the development of the industry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Huawei's Vision Forum Europe meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presentation on Modeling 'Nonlinearity in Ultra-wideband Optical Fibre Transmission Systems', attended by Huawei Technologies engineers and managers, and other workshop participants |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Invited Talk, KDFF User Meeting, UCL |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk title: Combining Optical Clock Synchronisation and Clock Phase Caching to Synchronise Radio Access Networks to Picosecond Precision |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Invited presentation on ultrawideband systems at the IEEE summer topicals 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Gave invited presentation to 50 colleagues in academia and industry. questions on the future of modelling |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.ieee-sum.org/ |
| Description | Launch of Optica Student Chapter |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | PhD students Farah Comis, Romulo Aparecido, David Gerard launched UCL's Photonics Society and Optica student chapter, to introduce students to the field of photonics and collaboration on interdisciplinary prjects. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Participation in Siegmann International School on Lasers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | PhD students Yijia Cai and Romulo Aparecido participated in The Siegman International School - a week-long program that exposes students to in-depth learning of lasers and their applications from internationally recognized academic and industry leaders in the field. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Qualcomm talk and discussion |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | seminar to Qualcomm about low noise signal generator and its potential for wireless communications. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Rohde & Schwarz engagement and seminar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Formal visit to Rohde & Schwarz headquarter and factory, where Dr Zhixin Liu gave introduction of UCL research, UCL ICCS, and key research outputs in optical and mm-wave communications. This later results in high level engagement by UCL vice provost to visit R&S and discuss strategical partnership between UCL and R&S with EVP Dr Christina Gessler |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | TOPS - Telecommunications, Optics & Photonics Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Telecommunications, Optics and Photonics (TOP) Conference, took place in London from 14-15 February in London and attendees were able to find out about the latest trends in photonic integration; silicon photonics using InP, GaAs and polymer solutions; packaging solutions; hybrid integration; lasers, modulators and receivers; filters and switches and connectors. Held in Bishopsgate, London, close to Liverpool St station, the conference allowed delegates and speakers valuable in-person networking opportunities as well as time to view the poster sessions. Along with the comprehensive programme, the conference featured two workshops: UK capabilities in photonics (& new allied technologies): current status, demands and drivers, future prospects, and opportunities for growth - which reviewed the current status of UK capabilities in photonics considering present societal demands and business drivers, and examined future prospects for photonic technologies and new opportunities for short, medium, and long-term growth. UKRI Hubs & Programme Grants: recent progress in optical communications, photonic technologies, quantum communications and quantum computing - this workshop brought together world-leading researchers to exchange the latest results, ideas and to explore new opportunities for cross-fertilisation and co-working across these research fields. Over 10 research posters as well as a presentation on the TRANSNET Programme Grant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://topconference.com/ |
| Description | UCL Press Release |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | UCL press release on a TRANSNET Programme research paper published in the journal Scientific Report. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/iccs/news/2021/may/iccs-researchers-contribute-newly-published-research-demons... |
| Description | Visit and Seminar at Chalmers Advanced Photonic Technology Centre |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Two days visit to Chalmers for discussion and workshop, where Dr Zhixin Liu gave seminars and had one-to-one discussion with academics and students about research directions and technologies related to phase locking and mm-wave. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | WAVE 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | WAVE 2022 was a one-day conference held at the BT Tower, sponsored by the Sub-Optic Foundation to attract young people to the field of subsea communications - and with prominent members of the sub-sea community - it was an important Advocacy event: https://wave.subopticfoundation.org/ TRANSNET team played a major role in the organisation of the event, and Professor Polina Bayvel was one of the prominent figures at the event. In addition to being one of the key speakers at the Round Table discussion on the range of opportunities available in Subsea, she also presented her thoughts on defining moments in the breakthrough of optical networks; followed by an engaging debate on the topic with Gary Waterworth, Network Investment EMEA at META and Maja Summers, Senior Submarine Commercial Manager at Vodafone. TRANSNET was also officially recognised as a partner of the event for supporting the organisers with planning of the event. The event was livestreamed to schools around the world, and was attended by both established and up-and-coming figures in the field of subsea communications. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://transnet.org.uk/news-and-events/546-transnet-goes-to-the-bt-tower |
| Description | Workshop and seminar at KEIO University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 8 academics and 20 undergraduate and postgraduate students attended workshop and the Dr Zhixin Liu's keynote seminar at KEIO university in Japan. Engaged KEIO future photonics open lab, including joint research, lab visits, individual meeting and guest seminars. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |