WHAT JUST HAPPENED? Researchers at Japan's Tokushima University, the University of Tokyo, and Gifu University have developed a terahertz wireless communication system capable of transmitting data at 112Gbps in the 560GHz band. This is significantly faster than the few-gigabit-per-second data rates typically achieved by conventional terahertz communication systems operating at similar frequencies.
The researchers noted that this marks the first time any technology has achieved 100Gbps-class wireless communication beyond 420GHz, potentially opening a new frontier in high-frequency wireless communications and paving the way for 6G cellular networks, which promise extremely high speeds, ultra-low latency, and massive network capacity.
The discovery was originally announced last October before undergoing peer review and being published this week in the journal Nature. In the research paper, the study's authors noted that the biggest obstacles to generating stable, high-quality signals beyond 350GHz are increased phase noise and reduced power output.
To overcome these limitations, the team combined fiber-coupled microcombs with high-order data modulation to develop its new prototype. Microcombs – short for microresonator frequency combs – were chosen because they offer high-frequency stability and low phase noise, making them ideal for transmitting reliable signals beyond 350GHz.
