Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Weijun Gao, Chong Han, Zhi Chen
Summary: This paper proposes a deep neural network (DNN)-based mechanism for secure THz communications, which uses artificial noise (AN) to assist in receiver design with self-interference cancellation (SIC) elimination, addressing the security challenge posed by eavesdroppers within the beam radiation sector. The numerical results demonstrate that this mechanism significantly improves the secrecy rate and reduces the secrecy outage probability when eavesdroppers are in close proximity.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Yu Mei, Yongfeng Ma, Jianjun Ma, Lothar Moeller, John F. Federici
Summary: Wireless networks operating at terahertz frequencies are promising for supporting increasing capacity demand, with high beam directionality and small signal coverage; however, eavesdropping risks due to multipath effects in outdoor scenarios still exist.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Peian Li, Jianchen Wang, Liangbin Zhao, Xiang Gao, Fei Song, Houjun Sun, Jianjun Ma
Summary: Wireless communication at terahertz frequencies is considered as a potential for future 6G wireless systems. However, secure data transmission in these systems faces complex challenges, including the less explored threat of scattering-induced eavesdropping. In this study, we investigate the security implications of scattering in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) links using metallic wavy surfaces and demonstrate real-time data transmission with a high data rate. We find that signal interception from an NLOS link can occur even with transceiver designs incorporating backscatter measures, posing a common security threat for THz communication systems with NLOS channels.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Hardware & Architecture
Deemah H. Tashman, Walaa Hamouda
Summary: Cognitive radio networks (CRNs) use intelligent sensing, learning, and adjusting of transmission parameters to avoid spectrum under-utilization, but users are vulnerable to various physical-layer attacks. This article provides an overview of physical-layer security for CRNs, including major attacks such as primary user emulation, sensing falsification, jamming, and eavesdropping, along with suggested methods for defense.
Article
Computer Science, Hardware & Architecture
Qiuye He, Song Fang, Tao Wang, Yao Liu, Shangqing Zhao, Zhuo Lu
Summary: This article presents a new wireless communication system designed to address eavesdropping attacks. By combining confidentiality and deception, the proposed system allows a legitimate receiver to receive desired messages and an eavesdropper to hear fake but meaningful messages, thus confusing the eavesdropper and providing additional concealment for exchanged messages. The system utilizes wireless channel characteristics and techniques to conceal exchanged messages and attract eavesdroppers to a trap region where fake messages are provided. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the system in providing secure communication.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON DEPENDABLE AND SECURE COMPUTING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Tobias Doeker, Christoph Herold, Johannes M. M. Eckhardt, Thomas Kurner
Summary: Low terahertz frequencies are potential candidates for future wireless communication systems. Despite the high path losses, highly directive antennas can be used to compensate for the losses, making eavesdropping challenging. This article evaluates eavesdropping possibilities by investigating the scattering properties of common office objects, such as a coffee cup, a thermos, and a laptop. The results show that eavesdropping opportunities are good when a thermos is used, while for other objects, direct eavesdropping results in lower secrecy capacity in most cases.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Hardware & Architecture
Youhong Feng, Shihao Yan, Nan Yang, Zhen Yang, Jinhong Yuan
Summary: This article clarifies key security issues in NOMA technology, including the channel conditions for eavesdroppers to use SIC for interference cancellation, the improvement of security for strong users and the reduction of security for weak users with NOMA, and strategies to protect weak user information while allowing strong users to benefit from NOMA. The article also discusses research challenges and future work in NOMA security.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Weijun Gao, Yi Chen, Chong Han, Zhi Chen
Summary: The paper introduces a novel approach for THz covert communications by dynamically modulating signals to enhance covertness and reduce eavesdroppable distance. An optimization framework is proposed to minimize the eavesdroppable distance by controlling carrier frequencies, power allocation, and rate distribution. Extensive numerical results show a 60% reduction in eavesdroppable distance compared to random spectrum selection methods, significantly enhancing the covertness of THz wireless transmission.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Ding Xu, Hongbo Zhu
Summary: This paper investigates spectrum sharing incentives for legitimate wireless information surveillance at the physical layer by involving secondary users in eavesdropping and interfering with communications to enhance eavesdropping performance and receive spectrum sharing rewards. Optimization of the transmit power of the secondary transmitter and the SIC decoding order at the secondary receiver can maximize the secondary transmission rate and minimize the transmission outage probability.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VEHICULAR TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Telecommunications
Ahmad Massud Tota Khel, Khairi Ashour Hamdi
Summary: This letter investigates an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS)-assisted terahertz (THz) communication system in the presence of colluding/non-colluding eavesdroppers (Eves). New expressions for the secrecy capacity are derived by considering the statistical channel state information (CSI) of Eves, pointing errors caused by highly-directional THz antennas, and phase shift quantization errors. Monte-Carlo simulations are conducted to validate the accuracy of the derived expressions.
IEEE COMMUNICATIONS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Taotao Ji, Meng Hua, Chunguo Li, Yongming Huang, Luxi Yang
Summary: This article studies an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS)-aided wireless information surveillance system, where the IRS assists the legitimate receiver (LR) in intercepting information from a suspicious transmitter (ST) to a suspicious user (SU). The joint design of the LR's receiver beamformer and the IRS's phase shifts is investigated to maximize the worst-case information monitoring rate (WCIMR) under the presence of channel state information (CSI) errors. A robust algorithm based on the S-procedure, sign-definiteness lemma, penalty-based, and successive convex approximation (SCA) techniques is proposed to solve the non-convex optimization problem. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and its ability to improve the WCIMR compared to conventional architectures without IRS.
IEEE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Hardware & Architecture
Wei Wang, Yang Cao, Min Sheng, Jie Tang, Nan Zhao, Dusit Niyato, Kai-Kit Wong
Summary: Due to the increasing demand for higher spectrum efficiency and large-scale connectivity, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has become a highly competitive candidate for the upcoming sixth-generation (6G) systems. However, the unstable wireless propagation environment and potential wireless security risk hinder the applications of NOMA. Fortunately, the intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) that can construct three-dimensional beamforming and reconfigure channels has emerged as an efficient technology to overcome the limitations of NOMA. In this article, an overview of NOMA is presented, along with its main shortcomings and security risks. The IRS technology is then introduced, highlighting its enhancement in NOMA networks. The article also addresses typical security threats in IRS-NOMA networks and proposes countermeasures based on joint transmit beamforming and IRS reflecting beamforming to combat external and internal eavesdropping.
IEEE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Hardware & Architecture
Xu Jiang, Xinying Chen, Jie Tang, Nan Zhao, Xiu Yin Zhang, Dusit Niyato, Kai-Kit Wong
Summary: This article focuses on the covert communication issues in UAV-assisted wireless networks, discussing the fundamentals of secure communications and current applications of UAV in covert communication. Two schemes are proposed to enhance the covertness of UAV-assisted networks, with performance validation for typical scenarios.
IEEE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Andrei Camponogara, Richard Demo Souza, Moises Vidal Ribeiro
Summary: This paper investigates the physical layer security of in-home and broadband power line communications systems threatened by colluding wireless communication eavesdroppers. The study shows that PLC and hybrid PLC-WLC channels can be considered as uncorrelated random processes. The severity of the threat from a WLC eavesdropper or a group of them located near the transmitter is confirmed, and it is shown that a group of colluding WLC eavesdroppers located far from the transmitter poses the same security risk as one WLC eavesdropper located near the transmitter. Furthermore, the paper discusses wiretap code rates for achieving effective secrecy throughput.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Christina Chaccour, Mehdi Naderi Soorki, Walid Saad, Mehdi Bennis, Petar Popovski, Merouane Debbah
Summary: This paper extensively examines the steps needed to deploy and operate next-generation THz wireless systems, as well as the seven defining features of THz systems and their impact on current wireless systems. THz systems benefit from their quasi-opticality and sensing opportunities, and can guarantee system performance through intelligent surfaces, lower frequency bands, and machine learning techniques.
IEEE COMMUNICATIONS SURVEYS AND TUTORIALS
(2022)
Article
Optics
Angela Pizzuto, Xinzhong Chen, Hai Hu, Qing Dai, Mengkun Liu, Daniel M. Mittleman
Summary: THz scattering-type scanning near-field microscopy (s-SNOM) is a powerful technique for measuring carrier dynamics in nanoscale materials and structures. Tip-based THz nano-imaging of subwavelength gold nanostructures can show image contrast unrelated to any spatially varying material properties. The specific physical configuration of the gold structures can have a strong influence on local excitations, potentially obscuring the sample's true dielectric response.
Letter
Optics
Yasaman Ghasempour, Yasith Amarasinghe, Chia-Yi Yeh, Edward Knightly, Daniel M. Mittleman
Summary: This paper investigates the usage of reflected non-line-of-sight (NLOS) paths for communication in directional networks at frequencies above 100 GHz. The study explores how high-gain directional antennas bring new challenges and opportunities for exploiting NLOS paths, demonstrating that NLOS paths can offer higher data rates under certain circumstances, distinguishing THz wireless systems from those operating at lower frequencies.
Article
Optics
Enrique Castro-Camus, Martin Koch, Daniel M. Mittleman
Summary: This article discusses the progress made in the field of THz imaging based on time-domain spectroscopy over the past 20 years, highlighting several important applications including 3D mapping of plant water distribution, THz reflection imaging of samples with arbitrary shape, burn wound imaging, and early diagnosis of diabetic foot disease. These applications have greatly benefited from the introduction of rugged and portable femtosecond fiber lasers for fiber-coupled THz time-domain systems. THz imaging is a versatile measurement method that has a wide range of practical applications and holds great promise for the future.
APPLIED PHYSICS B-LASERS AND OPTICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rabi Shrestha, Hichem Guerboukha, Zhaoji Fang, Edward Knightly, Daniel M. Mittleman
Summary: As wireless communications move towards terahertz frequencies, new vulnerabilities are discovered. These vulnerabilities include high directional attacks, beat jamming, and asymmetric bit interference. The study reveals the distinct features of jamming at these high frequencies and quantifies the increasing susceptibility of broadband receivers to jamming.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Andrea G. Markelz, Daniel M. Mittleman
Summary: Within the field of terahertz science and technology, the intersection of terahertz measurements and methods with biology and medicine is an active area of research. However, this field has been plagued with misleading ideas that need to be clarified. The purpose of this Perspective is to highlight and distinguish these mistaken concepts from interesting works in the marriage of terahertz with biology and medicine.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rabi Shrestha, Zhaoji Fang, Hichem Guerboukha, Priyangshu Sen, Goretti G. Hernandez-Cardoso, Enrique Castro-Camus, Josep M. Jornet, Daniel M. Mittleman
Summary: One key distinction between legacy low-frequency wireless systems and future THz wireless transmissions is the requirement of high directionality for THz links due to the large free-space path loss. The strong dependence of angular radiation patterns on the transmission frequency affects the spectral bandwidth at the receiver.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Optics
Yaxin Zhang, Kesen Ding, Hongxin Zeng, Wei Kou, Tianchi Zhou, Hongji Zhou, Sen Gong, Ting Zhang, Lan Wang, Shixiong Liang, Feng Lan, Yazhou Dong, Zhihong Feng, Yubin Gong, Ziqiang Yang, Daniel M. Mittleman
Summary: Terahertz (THz) technology has attracted much attention as a potential key component of future communication systems. However, the lack of effective high-speed direct modulation of THz waves has hindered the development of THz communication technology. Researchers have developed a guided-wave modulator for THz signals that performs on par with existing fiber-optic modulators. The modulator demonstrates high modulation depth, fast modulation speed, and low insertion loss, making it suitable for on-chip integrated high-performance THz devices.
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Information Systems
Chia-Yi Yeh, Alejandro Cohen, Rafael G. L. D'Oliveira, Muriel Medard, Daniel M. Mittleman, Edward W. Knightly
Summary: This paper studies secure transmission strategies on angularly dispersive links for the first time. By channelizing the wideband transmission in frequency and performing secure coding, it exploits the properties of angular dispersion to achieve secure wideband transmissions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 15TH ACM CONFERENCE ON SECURITY AND PRIVACY IN WIRELESS AND MOBILE NETWORKS (WISEC '22)
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Information Systems
Zhambyl Shaikhanov, Fahid Hassan, Hichem Guerboukha, Daniel Mittleman, Edward Knightly
Summary: This paper introduces and demonstrates for the first time a MetaSurface-in-the-Middle (MSITM) attack, which utilizes metasurfaces to cause phase changes in wireless communications, allowing a malicious attacker to eavesdrop on signals without being easily detected.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 15TH ACM CONFERENCE ON SECURITY AND PRIVACY IN WIRELESS AND MOBILE NETWORKS (WISEC '22)
(2022)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hongxin Zeng, Sen Gong, Lan Wang, Tianchi Zhou, Yaxin Zhang, Feng Lan, Xuan Cong, Luyang Wang, Tianyang Song, YunCheng Zhao, Ziqiang Yang, Daniel M. Mittleman
Summary: Terahertz phase modulation is a current research hotspot and plays an important role in wireless communication, imaging, and radar systems. Significant progress has been made in this field, involving two major categories of phase modulators: free space and guided wave integration. Future trends include new methods and broader application requirements.
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Daniel Mittleman
2021 CONFERENCE ON LASERS AND ELECTRO-OPTICS EUROPE & EUROPEAN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS CONFERENCE (CLEO/EUROPE-EQEC)
(2021)
Article
Optics
Haicheng Xiao, Shengfeng Wang, Yan Peng, Daniel M. Mittleman, Jiayu Zhao, Zuanming Jin, Yiming Zhu, Songling Zhuang
Summary: A method has been presented to enhance terahertz wave radiation from a femtosecond laser-induced plasma filament by controlling the local gas density within the filament. By adjusting the local gas density, the transient current distribution along the filament and the resulting coherent superposition of terahertz waves can be controlled, leading to an increase in generated THz pulse energy.
