Researchers take step towards fast terahertz connections
Brown University researchers have successfully multiplexed and demultiplexed terahertz waves. The test is an important step towards the use of terahertz signal for fast wireless connections.
One day, it should be possible to use terahertz waves for significantly faster data connections than today. WiGig, or 802.11ad, for example, works at 60GHz and partly because of this offers a higher bandwidth than, for example, WiFi-ac, although the range is lower. Researchers have been working on the use of terahertz waves for some time, but multiplexing and de-multiplexing, among other things, were still a problem.
In multiplexing, several data streams are transported through a single medium, after which the signals are received separately after de-multiplexing. All wireless technologies make use of this. Scientists at Brown University in the US have now succeeded in developing a working multiplexer for terahertz signals. According to Professor Daniel Mittleman of the team, this is the first time.
He and his colleagues used a leaky wave antenna. The antenna consists of two metal plates that are attached parallel to each other to form a waveguide. One of the plates has a slit from which radiation leaks out as the terahertz waves pass through the conductor. The researchers found that the waves each leak from a different angle, depending on the frequency.
“So if you run 10 different frequencies between the plates – each potentially carrying its own unique data stream – they come out from 10 different angles,” explains Mittleman. A receiver can be adjusted in such a way that it receives radiation, and thus a signal, from a specific angle. By adjusting the separation between the plates, the basic frequency and bandwidth of the multiplex terahertz channels can be controlled.
Mittleman emphasizes that this is a proof-of-concept and he hopes to be able to work with other researchers on more components for an upcoming terahertz network. His research has been published in Nature Photonics.