mmKey: Channel-Aware Beam Shaping for Reliable Key Generation in mmWave Wireless Networks

Physical-layer key generation (PLKG) has emerged as a promising technique to secure next-generation wireless networks by exploiting the inherent properties of the wireless channel. However, PLKG faces fundamental challenges in the millimeter wave (mmWave) regime due to channel sparsity, higher phase noise, and higher path loss, which undermine both the randomness and reciprocity required for secure key generation. In this paper, we present mmKey, a novel PLKG framework that capitalizes on the availability of multiple antennas at mmWave wireless nodes to inject randomness into an otherwise quasi-static wireless channel. Different from prior works that sacrifice either the secrecy of the key generation or the robustness, mmKey balances these two requirements. In particular, mmKey leverages a genetic algorithm to gradually evolve the initial weight vector population toward configurations that suppress the LOS component while taking into account the channel conditions, specifically, the sparsity and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Extensive simulations show that mmKey improves the secrecy gap by an average of 39.4% over random beamforming and 34.0% over null beamforming, outperforming conventional schemes.

Fast Vortex Beam Alignment for OAM Mode Multiplexing in LOS MIMO Networks

Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM)-based communication systems offer high-capacity multiplexing in line-of-sight (LOS) scenarios; yet, their performance is sensitive to nodal misalignment, which disrupts modal orthogonality, hindering the data multiplexing gain. To tackle this challenge, we present OrthoVortex, a novel framework that estimates the misalignment angles and applies the appropriate phase correction to restore orthogonality between modes. Unlike purely theoretical prior efforts that rely on impractical fully digital arrays or exhaustive beam scans, OrthoVortex introduces and leverages the cross-modal phase, as a unique signature for identifying the misalignment angles. OrthoVortex is a few-shot alignment technique, making it feasible for real-world implementations. Our key contributions include: (i) a robust angle estimation and phase correction framework based on the physics of OAM propagation that estimates the misalignment and restores modal orthogonality, (ii) the first-ever experimental validation of OAM beam alignment with RF transceivers, and (iii) a comprehensive analysis of practical constraints, including the impact of antenna count and bandwidth. Simulations and over-the-air measurements using low-cost, rapidly prototyped metasurfaces operating at 120 GHz demonstrate that OrthoVortex achieves fast and precise misalignment estimation (mean absolute error of $0.69^{\circ}$ for azimuth and $2.54^{\circ}$ for elevation angle). Further, OrthoVortex can mitigate the inter-modal interference, yielding more than 12 dB increase in signal-to-interference ratio and more than 4.5-fold improvement in link capacity.

Panoptic: True Joint mmWave Communication and Sensing with Compressive Sidelobe Forming

The integration of communication and sensing functions within mmWave systems has gained attention due to the potential for enhanced passive sensing and improved communication reliability. State-of-the-art techniques separate these two functions in frequency, use of hardware, or time, i.e., sending known preambles for channel sensing or unknown symbols for communications. In this paper, we introduce Panoptic, a novel system architecture for integrated communication and sensing sharing the same hardware, frequency, and time resources. Panoptic jointly detects unknown symbols and channel components from data-modulated signals. The core idea is a new beam manipulation technique, which we call compressive sidelobe forming, that maintains a directional mainlobe toward the intended communication nodes while acquiring unique spatial information through pseudorandom sidelobe perturbations. We implemented Panoptic on 60 GHz mmWave radios and conducted extensive over-the-air experiments. Our results show that Panoptic achieves reflector angular localization error of less than 2\deg while at the same time supporting mmWave data communication with a negligible BER penalty when compared with conventional communication-only mmWave systems.

NirvaWave: An Accurate and Efficient Near Field Wave Propagation Simulator for 6G and Beyond

The extended near-field range in future mm-Wave and sub-THz wireless networks demands a precise and efficient near-field channel simulator for understanding and optimizing wireless communications in this less-explored regime. This paper presents NirvaWave, a novel near-field channel simulator, built on scalar diffraction theory and Fourier principles, to provide precise wave propagation response in complex wireless mediums under custom user-defined transmitted EM signals. NirvaWave offers an interface for investigating novel near-field wavefronts, e.g., Airy beams, Bessel beams, and the interaction of mmWave and sub-THz signals with obstructions, reflectors, and scatterers. The simulation run-time in NirvaWave is orders of magnitude lower than its EM software counterparts that directly solve Maxwell Equations. Hence, NirvaWave enables a user-friendly interface for large-scale channel simulations required for developing new model-driven and data-driven techniques. We evaluated the performance of NirvaWave through direct comparison with EM simulation software. Finally, we have open-sourced the core codebase of NirvaWave in our GitHub repository (https://github.com/vahidyazdnian1378/NirvaWave).

Leaky Waveguide Antennas for Downlink Wideband THz Communications

THz communications are expected to play a profound role in future wireless systems. The current trend of the extremely massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna architectures tends to be costly and power inefficient when implementing wideband THz communications. An emerging THz antenna technology is leaky wave antenna (LWA), which can realize frequency selective beamforming with a single radiating element. In this work, we explore the usage of LWAs technology for wideband multi-user THz communications. We propose a model for the LWA signal processing that is physically compliant facilitating studying LWA-aided communication systems. Focusing on downlink systems, we propose an alternating optimization algorithm for jointly optimizing the LWA configuration along with the signal spectral power allocation to maximize the sum-rate performance. Our numerical results show that a single LWA can generate diverse beampatterns at THz, exhibiting performance comparable to costly fully digital MIMO arrays.