Electromagnetic Information Theory

Abstract: Theoretical analysis of  the performance limits of next generation communication systems  requires a deeper understanding of the effect of the propagation channel in the computation of relevant information-theoretic bounds. Most of the literature, however, abstracts out the physics, treating them as mathematical or engineering disciplines. Although abstractions are  certainly necessary in the design of systems, much can be lost in understanding the fundamental limits of emerging technologies such as holographic MIMO, super-resolution, intelligent surfaces, high-frequency, and quantum communications. In this talk, we illustrate how fundamental limits can be studied by merging classic results in functional analysis and electromagnetics. Specifically, we will  consider degrees of freedom, entropy, and capacity, of radiated signals. We  will  recall classic results in communication theory and signal analysis, draw connections with electromagnetics, and discuss some recent advancements.  These results set the foundation for a new interdisciplinary framework integrating electromagnetic wave (EM) theory and information theory (IT) for the analysis of physical systems for the communication, processing, and storage of information that  has recently drawn the attention of both of these research communities.

Bio: Massimo Franceschetti received the Laurea degree (with honors) in computer engineering from the University of Naples, Naples, Italy, in 1997, the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, in 1999, and 2003, respectively. He is Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD). Before joining UCSD, he was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California at Berkeley for two years. He is coauthor of the book “Random Networks for Communication” and author of the book “Wave theory of information,” both published by Cambridge University Press. He was awarded the C. H. Wilts Prize in 2003 for best doctoral thesis in electrical engineering at Caltech; the S.A. Schelkunoff Award in 2005 for best paper in the IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award in 2006, an Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Award in 2007, the IEEE Communications Society Best Tutorial Paper Award in 2010, and the IEEE Control theory society Ruberti young researcher award in 2012. He became an IEEE Fellow in 2018 and a Guggenheim Fellow for Natural Sciences, Engineering, in 2019.

Electromagnetic Information Theory

Abstract: Theoretical analysis of  the performance limits of next generation communication systems  requires a deeper understanding of the effect of the propagation channel in the computation of relevant information-theoretic bounds. Most of the literature, however, abstracts out the physics, treating them as mathematical or engineering disciplines. Although abstractions are  certainly necessary in the design of systems, much can be lost in understanding the fundamental limits of emerging technologies such as holographic MIMO, super-resolution, intelligent surfaces, high-frequency, and quantum communications. In this talk, we illustrate how fundamental limits can be studied by merging classic results in functional analysis and electromagnetics. Specifically, we will  consider degrees of freedom, entropy, and capacity, of radiated signals. We  will  recall classic results in communication theory and signal analysis, draw connections with electromagnetics, and discuss some recent advancements.  These results set the foundation for a new interdisciplinary framework integrating electromagnetic wave (EM) theory and information theory (IT) for the analysis of physical systems for the communication, processing, and storage of information that  has recently drawn the attention of both of these research communities.

Bio: Massimo Franceschetti received the Laurea degree (with honors) in computer engineering from the University of Naples, Naples, Italy, in 1997, the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, in 1999, and 2003, respectively. He is Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD). Before joining UCSD, he was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California at Berkeley for two years. He is coauthor of the book “Random Networks for Communication” and author of the book “Wave theory of information,” both published by Cambridge University Press. He was awarded the C. H. Wilts Prize in 2003 for best doctoral thesis in electrical engineering at Caltech; the S.A. Schelkunoff Award in 2005 for best paper in the IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award in 2006, an Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Award in 2007, the IEEE Communications Society Best Tutorial Paper Award in 2010, and the IEEE Control theory society Ruberti young researcher award in 2012. He became an IEEE Fellow in 2018 and a Guggenheim Fellow for Natural Sciences, Engineering, in 2019.