Centimeter Wave: Next Paradigm for Wireless Communication and Sensing

Centimeter wave (cmWave) band, spanning from 7 GHz to 14 GHz, bridges the gap between sub-6GHz and millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrums, offering an alternative solution for future wireless communication and sensing. CmWave spectrum strikes a balance between the size of antenna array and rich scattering propagation conditions, which facilitates multi-stream multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) communications. Additionally, the centimeter-level wavelength enables long-range MIMO radar with superior robustness to undesireable obstacles along the transmission path. Therefore, the potential of cmWave has attracted much attention from both academia and industry. However, the unique wave-length of cmWave signals brings a propagation environment that differs from existing sub-6GHz and mmWave scenarios, introducing new challenges for cmWave transceiver design. To this end, this article investigates the cmWave band in detail and explores its potential for wireless communication and sensing systems. Firstly, we introduce the fundamental characteristic of cmWave band and compare it with existing sub-6G and mmWave counterparts from three aspects of channel model, circuit design and performance evaluation. Subsequently, we illustrate the application scenarios of cmWave band from ultra-high-rate communication to integrated sensing and communication. Finally, we brief the crucial technologies that need to be addressed, providing valuable guidance for future deployment of this field.