From The Editor | June 10, 2024

What To Expect At IMS24 – Tuesday, June 18

John Headshot cropped 500 px wide

By John Oncea, Editor

Conference hall-GettyImages-1275764966

Tuesday at the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS) will feature technical sessions, panel sessions, three receptions, and, oh yeah, the start of the exhibition! IMS is the premier annual international meeting for technologists involved in all aspects of microwave theory and practice and it brings together thousands of professionals from various sectors to discuss the latest theories, strategies, and technologies in microwave technology.

The Exhibition Begins

Dive into innovative technology at the IMS2024 Exhibition, where you can immerse yourself in the latest advancements in RF and microwave technology thanks to over 500 global exhibitors showcasing their groundbreaking products and services. Your pass includes the exhibition, where you can explore innovative solutions, network with industry leaders, and gain valuable insights.

Today’s exhibit begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. and features several networking highlights, including (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., unless otherwise noted):

There is also an opportunity to engage in some healthy competition with friends and colleagues or just unwind and relax at the IMS Game Zone in Booth 1366 anytime during exhibition hours.

RFIC Technical Sessions

There are four technical sessions today with the first scheduled to run from 8 – 9:40 a.m. The two concurrent sessions are:

  • RF and Mixed-Signal Circuits for Cryogenic and High-Radiation Environments
  • Digital Power Amplifier and Transmitter Systems

 Two more are scheduled for 10:10 – 11:50 a.m.:

  • Silicon Wireless Systems in the D-Band and Beyond
  • Power Amplifiers for Satellite Applications

The third group of sessions runs from 1:30 – 3:10 p.m. and features:

  • Silicon-Based Low-Noise Amplifiers and Mixers
  • D-Band and THz Transmitters

The day’s final sessions run from 3:40 – 5:20 p.m. and the topics are:

  • mm-Wave and Beyond Radars and Imagers
  • Circuit Building Blocks in the 100–200GHz Frequency Range

IMS Technical Sessions

There are four technical sessions today with the first scheduled from 8 – 9:40 a.m. The sessions are:

  • Advanced Systems for Wireless Power Beaming
  • Advanced Non-Planar Passive Components
  • Magnetostatic, Ferroelectric, and Phase Change Material Based Microwave Devices
  • Advanced Low-Phase-Noise Signal Generation Techniques
  • Photonic-Enabled Systems and Solutions
  • AI/ML for Wireless Systems

The next group of sessions runs from 10:10 – 11:50 a.m. and covers:

  • Devices and Components for Effective Wireless Power Transfer
  • Advanced Non-Planar Filter Design
  • Recent Advances on Microwave Acoustics
  • Advanced mm-Wave Frequency Conversion Techniques
  • Does Analog Photonics have a Role in 6G Systems and Beyond?
  • AI / ML For Transmitter Systems
  • Microwave-Based Space Based Solar Power

 The third session, which runs from 1:30 – 3:10 p.m., includes:

  • In Memoriam: Special Session Honoring Reynold Shigeru Kagiwada
  • Advanced Filter Synthesis Techniques
  • Sub-THz and THz Circuits and Systems
  • Building Blocks for Advanced mm-Wave Systems
  • Generation, Amplification, and Radiation of mm-Wave and sub-THz Signals Using Microwave Photonic and Electronic Techniques
  • Wireless Solutions for Autonomous Sensors

The final session runs from 3:40 – 5:20 p.m. and includes:

  • Emerging Passive Multiport Components
  • Reconfigurable Filters and Passive Devices
  • mm-Wave Technology Opportunities and Challenges for 5G/6G Applications
  • Advanced mm-Wave Transceiver Subsystems
  • Advances in Low Noise Amplifiers
  • RFID-Based Technologies for Advanced Sensing Applications

Other Key Events

Tuesday features two panel sessions, both running from Noon – 1:30 p.m. The first – AI in RFIC Design: Opportunities, Threats, and Limitations – is organized by Kaushik Sengupta and Oren Eliezer with support from Princeton University and Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. Panelists include Daivd Pan, Jian Yang, Michael Thompson, Silvia Zhang, Tom Kazior, Ronald Gyurcsik, and Nilesh Kamdar.

This panel acknowledges that growth in generative AI has, naturally, raised the question of its impact on RFIC design. The latter has been traditionally regarded as somewhat of a black art, requiring the ‘magic’ of human intuition and creativity.

But is RFIC design really so, or will AI be able to automate large portions of the design process in the future? Are the days of hand-crafted RFIC design limited? Will AI replace design engineers or only augment their capabilities, to some extent? Those are just some of the questions panelists will address

The second panel – Will Long Range WPT Become a Reality – is organized by Nuno Carvalho and Jasmin Grosinger with support from Instituto De Telecomunicacoes and the University of Graz. Featured panelists include Greg Kushnir, Dinesh Kithany, Chris Davlantes, Jennifer Grenz, Volker Ziegler, and Jason Gill.

This panel will bring together industry, government laboratories, and academia to discuss long-range WPT links. Panelists will look at the bottlenecks and limitations, and what has been done already to support long range WPT. It is expected to have a diverse group of researchers in different areas talking about these topics and create enough discussion in the room to allow microwave enthusiasts and practitioners to foresee where to focus their interests and research strategies to work toward a future of WPT.

There are four industry workshops scheduled for today, as well. The first, Technologies and Circuties for 5G/5G+ RFFront End Modules, runs from 8 - 9:40 a.m. Others are:

  • Linearization of RF Power Amplifiers for wideband applications (10:10 – 11:50 a.m.)
  • Model-Based Design of Stable High Efficiency GaN Power Amplifiers (1:30 – 3:10 p.m.)
  • Optimization of RF Power Amplifiers in the sub-THz range (3:40 – 5:20 p.m.)

In addition, two dozen MicoApp Seminars will be taking place, from 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Young Professionals And Women In Microwave (WIM)

WIM stands for “Women in Microwaves” and is the subset of IEEE Women in Engineering, serving those working within the field of microwave engineering. The group has active members throughout the world and frequently hosts meetings at major industry events, such as IEEE IMS, IEEE Radio & Wireless Week, and EuMW.

Today, WIM is teaming with Young Professionals (YP) on a panel session titled “Developing Your Personal Brand.” If you are wondering how you can influence how your brand is perceived in the industry, then, this panel is for you. The 45-minute panel starts at 3:45 and features panelists Charlotte Blair of Ansys, Aline Eid of the University of Michigan, and Laura Martin of the Isola Group and is moderated by Judy Warner.

After the panel, continue the conversation and share some laughs at the annual WIM reception, which will be held at the International Spy Museum. You also can stop by the WIM area to participate in a Women in Espionage scavenger hunt, meet their sponsors Microwaves & RF and Samtec, and network over cocktails and snacks.

In addition to taking part in the brand panel, YP is hosting a mentorship luncheon on Tuesday from Noon – 1:30 p.m. Should you choose to attend, you will come to understand the benefits of mentorship, discover mentorship opportunities, and establish networks with potential colleagues and mentors.