The future of mobile phone data transmission may lie in “bending” light beams through the air, enabling ultrafast 6G wireless networks without the need for line of sight between transmitter and receiver.
A new study published March 30 in the journal Neurology & Neurology, Nature Communication EngineeringThe researchers explained how they developed a transmitter that can dynamically adjust radio waves needed to support future 6G signals.
The most advanced mobile phone communication standard is 5G. Thousands of times faster. 6G is scheduled to start being deployed in 2030. Industry association GSMA5G mainly operates in frequency bands below 6 gigahertz (GHz), Electromagnetic spectrum6G is expected to operate in the sub-terahertz (THz) band, between 100 GHz and 300 GHz, i.e. just below infrared. This radiation Visible lightThe signal is more likely to be blocked by physical objects. A major challenge with higher frequencies of 5G and future 6G is that the signal requires a direct line of sight between the transmitter and receiver.
But in experiments, scientists have shown that they can effectively “bend” high-frequency signals around obstacles such as buildings.
“This is the world’s first curved data link and marks a significant milestone in realizing the 6G vision of high data rates and high reliability.” Edward Knightleyco-author of the study and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice University statement.
Related: Scientists develop light-based semiconductor chip that paves the way for 6G
of photonThe light particles that make up terahertz radiation in this region of the electromagnetic spectrum normally travel in straight lines, unless space and time are distorted by immense gravity. Black Hole But the researchers say that a self-accelerating beam of light 2007 Study — They form special configurations of electromagnetic waves that can bend or curve to one side as they travel through space.
By designing a transmitter with a pattern that manipulates the strength, intensity and timing of the data-carrying signal, the researchers created waves that ensured the signal remained intact even if the path to the receiver was partially blocked. By shuffling the data into an unblocked pattern, the researchers found that they could form a beam of light that adapted to any object in its path: whereas photons travel in a straight line, the THz signal effectively bends around the object.
Towards a 6G future
Bending light without the power of a black hole is not new research, but what’s significant about this work is that it could help make 6G networks a reality.
5G millimeter wave (mmWave) currently offers the fastest network bandwidth by occupying the higher 5G radio frequencies between 24GHz and 100GHz of the electromagnetic spectrum. Theoretical maximum download speed is 10-50 Gbps Terahertz waves lie in the frequency range above millimeter waves, between 100 GHz and 10,000 GHz (10 THz), and are needed to achieve data rates of 1 terabit per second, which is about 5,000 times faster than millimeter waves. Average US 5G Speeds.
“We want to increase the amount of data per second.” Daniel MittelmanProfessor of Engineering at Brown University, statement“If you want to do that, you need more bandwidth, and that bandwidth doesn’t exist in traditional frequency bands.”
But while both 5G mmWave and future 6G signals operate at higher frequencies that require a direct line of sight between transmitter and receiver, by actually transmitting signals on curved paths, future 6G networks will eliminate the need to cover buildings with receivers and transmitters.
But for signal bending to work, the receiver needs to be within close range of the transmitter: using high-frequency THz wire, that means a distance of about 33 feet (10 meters), which isn’t suitable for city-wide 6G but could be practical for next-generation Wi-Fi networks.
“One of the big questions that everyone is asking is how much it can bend and how far it can bend,” Mittelman said. “We have some rough estimates on these things, but we haven’t been able to quantify them yet, so we’d like to get into the details.”
While the THz signal curve holds great potential for future 6G networks, the use of the THz spectrum is still in its infancy, and scientists say this research brings us one step closer to realizing cellular wireless networks with unparalleled speeds.
