Alessandra Costanzo and Anding Zhu
Figure 1. The 2022 sessions on Tuesday.
The 2023 IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society (MTT-S) International Microwave Symposium (IMS2023) will offer a variety of focus and special sessions (Figure 1) in addition to the regular technical sessions. The focus and special sessions are aimed to present specific emerging technical topics that are of high interest to the RF and microwave community. In particular, this year, we will focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques applied in microwaves, emerging gallium nitride (GaN) transistor technologies, millimeter-wave (mm-wave) sensing, and biomedical radar. We also have a special session on “RF and Microwave Research in Latin America.”
With the remarkable advances in the available computational power over the past years, AI and ML have become the forefront of R&D in a wide and diverse range of fields. At IMS2023, we will feature AI/ML as a special thematic area, supported by the MTT-S Future Directions Day Initiative. We will kick off with a special session, “AI and ML Technologies for Microwaves,” organized by the MTT-S AI/ML Working Group. This special session includes four distinguished speakers who will present exciting new developments in AI/ML-based technologies, from spectrum sensing and advanced packaging to end-to-end design automation and electronic design automation tools. This event is designed to introduce the AI/ML Day at IMS2023, with high-caliber presentations aimed at inspiring and engaging the IMS audience.
After the special session, we will have a focus session, “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Techniques for Signal-Power Integrity.” This focus session exposes advanced AI and ML methodologies as applied to the diverse modeling, design, and optimization aspects of signal integrity and/or power integrity. It includes the following, among other aspects:
With 6G and mm-wave defense systems on the horizon, next-generation GaN technologies are being developed to replace the conventional GaN transistors. This focus session will cover emerging mm-wave GaN transistor technologies and monolithic microwave integrated circuits toward 5G/6G wireless and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) applications with speakers from both industry (Intel and Qorvo) and DoD (BAE, Northrop Grumman, HRL) companies. Recent advances in mm-wave GaN devices and circuits for defense and advanced wireless applicators are described. Scaled GaN on silicon, graded-channel concepts, and multichannel devices as well as circuit and module implementations are included.
Characterizing biological materials with microwaves is of interest for various application fields, such as health monitoring, medicine, biology, chemistry, and the food industry, for instance. This is due to the attractive characteristics of dielectric spectroscopy, while providing label-free and rapid measurements of complementary physical properties of matter. This focus session addresses the latest developments in microwave sensors and techniques for characterizing materials, including biological ones. Modeling and manufacturing methods for various sensors and systems are demonstrated with applications including food, wood, and structural characterization.
Over the past decades, biomedical radar sensors have been developed for monitoring and detecting the physiological conditions and locations of human targets. Owing to their noninvasive and noncontact characteristics, biomedical radar sensors result in minimal discomfort and can avoid sanitation issues for the targets under detection. Furthermore, due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an ever-growing demand for noncontact and portable real-time vital sign and physiologic monitoring devices. The focus session will introduce some recent advances in biomedical radar sensing techniques and applications in the microwave and mm-wave frequencies.
The level of research activities on RF and microwave engineering, both in terms of quantity and quality, has been significantly increased in the last years in Latin America. Several indicators confirm that trend, including the successful implementation of the first three editions of the IEEE MTT-S Latin America Microwave Conference, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Arequipa, Peru; and Cali, Colombia as well as the consistent growth of Region 9 MTT-S memberships during the last years. At IMS2023, we will host a special session to present advanced RF and microwave research and development currently undertaken in Latin American countries.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MMM.2023.3242802