Spectrum and Wireless Innovation enabled by Future Technologies (SWIFT-SAT)

The National Science Foundation's Directorates for Engineering (ENG), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS), and Geosciences (GEO) are coordinating efforts to identify new concepts and ideas on Spectrum and Wireless Innovation enabled by Future Technologies (SWIFT). A key aspect of the SWIFT program, now in its third year, is its focus on effective spectrum utilization and/or coexistence techniques, especially with passive uses, which have received less attention from researchers. Coexistence is when two or more applications use the same frequency band at the same time and/or at the same location, yet do not adversely affect one another. Coexistence is especially difficult when at least one of the spectrum users is passive, i.e., not transmitting any radio frequency (RF) energy.

Examples of coexisting systems may include passive and active systems (e.g., radio astronomy and wireless broadband communication systems, or airborne and elevated transmitters such as satellites) or two active systems (e.g., weather radar and Wi-Fi). Example topics include communications at scale such as large-scale MIMO and intelligence surfaces, reconfigurable transceivers, energy efficient and low-power communications, innovative spectrum use and management such as joint communication and sensing, and resilient spectrum sharing, just to name a few. Another topic of interest is the growing challenge of coexistence between ground-based astronomy and large networks of low-Earth orbiting satellites, including sunlight reflections, thermal emissions, and optical/infrared inter-satellite links. As ground-based optical/infrared astronomy continues to advance in sensitivity and breadth of sky coverage, the need to maintain and enhance this capability in an increasingly congested optical/infrared/radio environment will become increasingly acute. Research projects to address these issues may involve innovative satellite technology and designs that take into account satellite constellation requirements (e.g., thermal balance), innovations in astronomical instrumentation or post-processing algorithms, advancements in coordination methodologies (e.g., use of telemetry or orbital information), and other solutions.

The goal of these research projects may be the creation of new technology or significant enhancements to existing wireless infrastructure, with an aim to benefit society by improving spectrum utilization and ancillary challenges, beyond mere spectrum efficiency. The SWIFT program encourages collaborative team research that transcends the traditional boundaries of individual disciplines.

SELECTED LIST OF ACRONYMS