Tunable MIMO mmWave Receiver Mitigates Interference

Researchers at MIT have made a groundbreaking advancement in wireless technology with the development of a reconfigurable millimeter-wave multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) wireless receiver architecture. This new design boasts four times stronger spatial interference blocking capabilities compared to previous models, making it a significant leap forward in the field.

MIMO systems, which utilize multiple antennas to transmit and receive signals from various directions, play a crucial role in the development of 5G and 6G mmWave technologies. The newly developed wireless receiver is equipped to detect and eliminate spatial interference at an early stage, preventing unwanted signals from being amplified. This enhancement is particularly beneficial for applications such as satellite systems and the Internet of Things (IoT).

The key feature of the MIMO receiver architecture is a nonreciprocal phase shifter that effectively targets and cancels out unwanted signals. This reconfigurable phase shifter structure has the capability to block up to four times more interference than similar devices. Moreover, the components responsible for interference blocking can be activated or deactivated as needed to conserve energy.

One of the critical components of the system is the analog portion, which uses antennas to receive signals. These signals are then amplified, down-converted, and processed through an analog-to-digital converter before entering the digital domain of the device. Digital beamforming is employed to extract the desired signal from the processed data.

By strategically placing four nonreciprocal phase shifters at the output of the initial amplifier in each receiver chain, the researchers were able to effectively block interfering signals. These phase shifters can sense the angle of incoming interference and adjust their phase to cancel it out, ensuring that unwanted signals are neutralized before reaching other parts of the receiver.