One metasurface at a time Elah Ajene, staff
O
from the Greek word “meta,” meaning “beyond.” “This surface can do things that are beyond regular surfaces,” Mojabi said. Mojabi’s new research project is part of more than 150 projects being funded by Research Manitoba, three of which are part of grants totalling $346,500 over the course of two years. In total, the university has received $12.5 million in funding awards from different academic organizations. Mojabi’s project, titled “Reconfigurable Electromagnetic Metasurfaces for Smart Radio Environments,” is attempting to improve wireless communication using metasurfaces. The engineered surfaces consist of a thin dielectric layer with bits of metal shaped like an uppercase “I.” By altering the dimensions and arrangement of these I-shaped metallic inclusions, these surfaces can achieve a wide range of advanced functions beyond the capabilities of traditional materials. In a standard wireless communication system, there are
transmitters and receivers, with electromagnetic waves acting as the information carriers between them. However, the environment between these two points is typically uncontrollable, leading to potential data transmission issues that come from different obstacles and interferences. “We have no control over the environment,” Mojabi said. “Sometimes the environment may block the transmission of data.” A metallic wall, for example, could block the transmission of electromagnetic waves. In this case, a metasurface could reroute the electromagnetic waves around the obstacle, ensuring seamless connectivity. For this reason, Mojabi is interested in controlling the environment the signals travel through. “You essentially try to engineer a surface and put it in the environment, in terms of a frame or a poster or things like that, so that it helps the transmission of data,” Mojabi explained. Cont’d p. 4 / Part
photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff
n the fifth-floor antenna lab of the U of M Engineering and Information Technology Complex sits a shielded room with dark, pyramidal structures covering all the walls and ceilings. The room, said Puyan Mojabi, professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering, is an anechoic chamber. It is designed to provide an environment free of unwanted electromagnetic waves, a type of radiation that moves through space and forms when an electric and magnetic field are linked. These waves encompass a wide spectrum of frequencies and wavelengths — from radio waves used in wireless communication to X-rays used in medical imaging. The pyramidal structures on the walls and ceilings absorb electromagnetic waves, Mojabi said. The rest of the room is filled with measurement devices. Mojabi held up a thin, almost poster-like structure, called a metasurface. The term “metasurface” is derived
News
3 Editorial
7 Comment
>
photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff
Manitoba Student Aid a top priority as fee deadline looms Kyra Campbell, staff With the U of M fall fee deadline and the Manitoba provincial election only a day apart, Manitoba Student Aid (MSA) is a high priority issue for students in the provincial campaign. UMSU vice-president advocacy Liam Pittman said that he’s heard from students “over and over again” about the challenges faced when attempting to access Manitoba Student Aid (MSA). Specifically, Pittman said that the issues raised by students include the amount of time it takes for payments to be received, confusion regarding the merging of Manitoba and federal loan applications and that those who have been granted university awards cannot receive them until their application is approved. Pittman has personal experience with the MSA office. He noted that he waited over an hour and a half to speak with someone in person at the office. He said that he and other students have not been successful when attempting to speak with someone from MSA over the phone. When asked what he thought the root of the issue was with MSA, Pittman said that the main concern seems to be staffing shortages. The Manitoban attempted to phone Manitoba Student
Arts & 8 Culture
Aid but was not successful in getting through to an employee. Manitoba New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Wab Kinew and Manitoba Liberal Party leader Dougald Lamont echoed Pittman’s concern of a staffing shortage. Lamont said that Manitoba currently has a “swiss cheese government that’s full of holes” as the PCs are not filling MSA staff vacancies when employees leave positions. Kinew agreed with the problem of reduced staffing, noting that the MSA does not currently have the “horsepower” to support the student aid system and assistance programs. In 2023, the provincial government increased the Manitoba maximum student loan benefit to $200 per week, its first increase since the 200506 academic year. Yet, at the same time, tuition has been increased by 10.2 per cent over the past three years alone. UMSU sees advocating for a tuition freeze as the best path forward for student affordability, meaning that tuition would stay at its current rate each year until further notice. The NDP, Liberal, and Green parties all have different outlooks on how to best support students and universities financially. Cont’d p. 3 / Provincial
12 Sports
>
15
Hard to find a home
Fall-ing for the season
Shut up
Wind up the summer
Bisons who’s who
International students face housing difficulties
Autumn is the (pumpkin) spice of life
The prohibitive price of silence
Seven movie and TV recs for fall
Trent Robertson, golf team veteran
September 13, 2023
SINCE 1914
VOL. 110, NO. 05