IRIS Spectrum Center

Interdisciplinary National Research Center for Innovations in Spectrum

The proposed IRIS Center aims to maintain and extend US leadership in future wireless technologies, systems, and applications in science and engineering through the efficient use and sharing of radio spectrum.

The center’s research agenda is based on a holistic cross layer and interdisciplinary approach which combines hardware level innovations at the radio level with a modern information architecture for operating, coordinating and managing wireless systems. The architecture under consideration incorporates novel features such as a spectrum control plane, measurement infrastructure, software-defined radio (SDR) access network, and AI-assisted cloud services for resource management and enablement of spectrum marketplaces. The team believes that the SII research agenda should thus be founded on a set of core research thrusts including harnessing new spectrum frontiers (i.e., mmWave, exploration of THz and IR/optical), radio technology fundamentals, information architecture for spectrum (including security aspects), and spectrum measurements. Several cross-cutting themes have also been identified including cross-layer algorithms for enabling co-existence and improved efficiency, system level innovations for support of passive uses such as radio astronomy (RA) and atmospheric monitoring, and economics/policy aspects of spectrum use. The research agenda will also include a study of emerging wireless applications and use case scenarios such as AR/VR, vehicular, smart manufacturing, emergency response, and rural broadband access.