Funder: EPSRC, EP/V002635/1
PI: Dr Yuan Ding
PDRA: Dr Jayakrishnan Methapettyparambu Purushothama
Period: 24th Feb. 2021 ~ 23rd Feb. 2024
Research Scope: This project will be the first systematic study of the physical-layer wireless security under the energy awareness context. We propose to recover the energy penalty of the physical-layer security solutions without compromising security performance. This ambitious vision becomes achievable when a co-design approach, involving transmitter architecture, digital baseband, RF frontend and signal waveforms, is employed. This will require major innovations that currently lie beyond state-of-the-art, which include (a) system architecture- and modulation-aware artificial noise (AN) synthesis; (b) non-linear power amplifier-friendly AN synthesis; (c) digital/analogue hybrid modulation and precoding security scheme; and (d) system-level demonstration of physical-layer security solutions. We are not aware of any other research programme that has systematically studied hardware-aware optimum signal waveform synthesis for energy efficient physical-layer wireless security systems.
The partnerships with Toshiba Research Europe (TRE), Ampleon, National Instruments (NI) and Winspread have been specifically established to ensure the successfully delivery of the research programme in every stage. In particular, (a) TRE will provide wireless threat assessment in various application scenarios to ensure the planned research is aligned with the society needs; (b) TRE and Ampleon will provide power amplifier samples and expertise on accurate non-linear power amplifier modelling and characterisation; (c) NI will guide the system integration and demonstration using its USRP platform; (d) Winspread will facilitate small-scale trial of the developed technology through its commercial 4G LTE base-stations.

Research Outcomes/Achievements:

  • Xingwang Li, Hongyan Qi, Dinh-Thuan Do, Hui Zhang, Yuan Ding, Mingfu Zhu, and Hongxing Peng, “IQ-impaired wireless-powered modify-and-forward relaying for IoT networks: An in-depth physical layer security analysis,” IEEE J. IoT, vol. 10, no. 17, pp. 14912–14924, Sep. 2023. DOI: 10.1109/JIOT.2023.3249964
  • Gaojian Huang, Shufen Chen, Yuan Ding, Xingwang Li, and Arumugam Nallanathan, “Security-enhanced directional modulation symbol synthesis using high efficiency time-modulated arrays,” IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 73, no. 1, pp. 1418–1423, Jan. 2024. DOI: 10.1109/TVT.2023.3305301
  • Bo Zhang, Maolin Li, Baoju Zhang, Yuan Ding, Tekon Kim, and Xiaonan Zhao, “Symbol-level design for joint Radar communication based on directional modulation,” IEEE Wireless Commun. Lett., vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 442–445, Feb. 2024. DOI: 10.1109/LWC.2023.3331694
  • Gaojian Huang, Kailuo Zhang, Yanliang Zhang, Kefei Liao, Shuanggen Jin, and Yuan Ding, “Orthogonal frequency division multipelxing directional modulation waveform design for integrated sensing and communication systems,” IEEE J. IoT, Feb. 2024. DOI: 10.1109/JIOT.2024.3367490
  • Jayakrishnan M. Purushothama, Jiayu Hou, Yuan Ding, and Yue Xiao, Radio frequency informed physical layer security – An augmented padlock to wireless transmission secrecy, book chapter for IET Book ‘Physical Layer Security for 6G Networks’, 2023.
  • Yuan Ding, Vincent Fusco, and Xingwang Li, “Distributed transmit array multi-tone carrier synchronization,” Physical Commun., 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.phycom.2021.101405
  • Hongxing Peng, Hongyan Qi, Xingwang Li, Yuan Ding, Jun Wu, and Varun Menon, “Hardware impaired modify-and-forward relaying with relay selection: Reliability and security,” Physical Commun., vol. 46, Article ID 101315, Jun. 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.phycom.2021.101315
  • Gaojian Huang, Yuan Ding, and Shan Ouyang, “Multi-carrier directional modulation symbol synthesis using time-modulated phase arrays,” IEEE Antennas Wireless Propag. Lett., vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 567–571, Apr. 2021. DOI: 10.1109/LAWP.20213056962
  • Kai Xu, Jiayu Hou, and Yuan Ding, Hybrid massive-MIMO and Its Practical Beamforming Implementation, book chapter for CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group book ‘6G Wireless: The communication Paradigm Beyond 2030’, 2023.
  • Jiayu Hou, Jayakrishnan M. Purushothama, Haijun Fan, Chaoyun Song, Yuan Ding, and Mathini Sellathurai, “Energy efficient time-modulated OFDM directional modulation transmitters,” Microw. Opt. Technol. Lett., vol. 65, no. 1 pp. 5–13, Jan. 2023. DOI: 10.1002/mop.33438
  • Kai Xu, Jiayu Hou, Li Wang, Simona Sibio, John Thompson, Steve McLaughlin, Yuan Ding, and Gunnar Peters, “Reconfigurable power divider enabled dynamic hybrid m-MIMO transmitter,” IEEE Open J. Commun. Society, vol. 3, pp. 2461–2471, 2022. DOI: 10.1109/OJCOMS.2022.3226262
  • Yuepei, Li, Yuan Ding, Junqing Zhang, George Goussetis, and Symon Podilchak, “Radio frequency fingerprinting exploiting non-linear memory effect,” IEEE Trans. Cognitive Commun. Networking, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 1618–1631, 2022. DOI: 10.1109/TCCN.2022.3212414
  • Jayakrishnan M. Purushothama, Yuan Ding, George Goussetis, Gaojian Huang, and Yue Xiao, “Synthesis of energy efficiency enhanced directional modulation transmitters,” IEEE Trans. Green Commun. Networking, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 635–648, Jun. 2023. DOI: 10.1109/TGCN.2022.3208023
  • Gaojian Huang, Yuan Ding, Shan Ouyang, and Vincent Fusco, “Three-state time modulated array enabled directional modulation for secure OFDM wireless transmission,” IET Commun., vol. 16, no. 19, pp. 2321–2327, Sep. 2022. DOI: 10.1049/cmu2.12485
  • Gaojian Huang, Jayakrishnan M. Purushothama, Yuan Ding, Xingwang Li, and Wei Gong, “Synthesis-free backscatter directional modulation communication using Van-Atta arrays,” IET Microw., Antennas Propag., vol. 16, no. 10, pp. 654–659, Aug. 2022. DOI: 10.1049/mia2.12279
  • Gaojian Huang, Yuan Ding, Shan Ouyang, and Jayakrishnan M. Purushothama, “Target localization using time-modulated directional modulated transmitters,” IEEE Sensors J., vol. 22, no. 13, pp. 13508–13518, Jul. 2022. DOI: 10.1109/JSEN.2022.3178699
  • Mengwei Sun, George Goussetis, Kai Xu, Yuan Ding, Stephen McLaughlin, Andrea Segneri, and Maria Jesus Canevate Sanchez, “Joint digital analogue DVB-S2(X) link optimization in non-linear channel,” IEEE Access, vol. 10, pp. 40794–40805, Apr. 2022. DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3167032
  • Ping Lu, Ka Ma Huang, Chaoyun Song, Yuan Ding, and George Goussetis, “Optimal power splitting of wireless information and power transmission using a novel dual-channel rectenna,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 70, no. 3, pp. 1846–1856, Mar. 2022. DOI:  10.1109/TAP.2021.3119045
  • Jose A. Garcia Perez, George Goussetis, Haijun Fan, and Yuan Ding, “A low-loss Ka-band waveguide to substrate integrated waveguide transition based on ridged stepped-impedance transformer,” Electron. Lett., vol. 57, no. 17, pp. 662–664, Aug. 2021. DOI: 10.1049/ell2.12223
  • K. Xu, J. M. Purushothama, Yuan Ding, G. Goussetis, J. Thompson, and S. McLaughlin, “Enhanced FSK-modulated ambient backscatter communication system,” in Int. Microw. Symp. 2023, San Diego, CA, US, Jun. 11–16, 2023.
  • Y. Li, Yuan Ding, G. Goussetis, and J. Zhang, “Power amplifier enabled RF fingerprint identification,” in IEEE Texas Symp. Wireless & Microw. Circuit Syst., Texas, US, May 18–20, 2021.