Celebrating Three Decades of MIMO – and Prof. Arogyaswami Paulraj’s 80th Birthday!

Arogyaswami Paulraj is an Emeritus Professor (Research) in the Department of Electrical Engineering, where he served from 1993 to 2013. Paulraj is recognized for his invention, advancement, and commercialization of MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) wireless technology. MIMO is at the core of 4G/5G mobile and WiFi networks that power today’s ubiquitous internet access infrastructure. Paulraj has received several awards for MIMO, including the 2024 Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) Prince Philip Medal, the 2023 IET Faraday Medal, the 2014 Marconi Prize, the 2011 IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal, and the 2018 induction into the US Patent and Trademark Office’s National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Prior to joining Stanford University, Paulraj served in the Indian Navy from 1965 until 1991. During his tenure, he led the development of the APSOH anti-submarine sonar, one of the world's most advanced systems. Paulraj also founded or co-founded three R&D labs for the Indian government: the Center for AI and Robotics, the Center for Development of Advanced Computing, and the Central Research Labs for Military Electronics. He received several awards from the Government of India, including the Padma Bhushan, the country's third highest civilian honor.