Our approach to tackle some of the challenges faced by the next generation of information systems is to move away from the “commodity” paradigm and to treat the information flows as stream of bits that can be manipulated, altered, and shaped in the digital domain. Mathematical tools and algorithms from information theory, coding theory, signal processing, and digital communication provide the framework in which to analyze and study such information flows.
We have more specifically applied this approach to the problem of securing communications at the physical-layer. As an increasing number of devices rely on a wireless interface to access information, securing wireless transmission is more than ever a critical issue. Unlike wired infrastructures, in which the confined nature of the transmission medium provides some intrinsic level of protection to the signals, wireless systems are intrinsically open and any device in communication range could eavesdrop transmitted signals. In addition, transmissions are susceptible to jamming and interference, which could completely disrupt a system. We have also investigated the separation of signals from simultaneous seismic sources, a problem relevant for the next generation of seismic exploration system.