Researchers at Brown U Develop Terahertz Wireless Multiplexing
A Brown University-led team of
researchers has developed a system for multiplexing and de-multiplexing
terahertz waves, solving one of the technical challenges of terahertz wireless
networking, which could potentially deliver data at rates that are up to 100
times faster than current wireless technology.
Terahertz waves operate at a much higher frequency than the microwaves used
in cellular and Wi-Fi communications, and can therefore offer much greater
bandwidth. However, there are numerous technical challenges to solve before
terahertz wireless can become a reality. This new multiplexing system
potentially solves one of those challenges.
Multiplexing is the process of separating streams of data that are traveling
through a single medium, such as a single TV cable carrying multiple channels.
"Any terahertz communications application is going to need some form of
multiplexing and demultiplexing," said Daniel Mittleman, professor of
engineering at Brown and senior author of a research paper on the subject, in a
prepared statement. "This is, to our knowledge, the first time anyone has
demonstrated a viable strategy for multiplexing in the terahertz
range."
The terahertz multiplexing system developed by the researchers uses a "leaky
wave antenna," which has "two metal plates placed in parallel to form a
waveguide," according to information from the university. "One of the plates
has a small slit in it. As terahertz waves travel down the waveguide, some of
the radiation leaks out of the slit. It turns out that terahertz waves leak out
a different angles depending on their frequency." Each frequency can carry a
separate data stream, and the data receiver at the other end could pick up an
individual stream by accepting radiation at a specific angle.
The researchers published a paper, "Frequency-Division Multiplexing in the Terahertz Range Using a Leaky-Wave Antenna," in Nature Photonics on
September 14. The lead author of the paper was Nicholas Karl, a graduate
student at Brown.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].