Researchers have demonstrated for the first time data transmission through a terahertz multiplexer, a device that can send multiple signals through a single channel. Terahertz transmissions are about 100 times faster than the optimal transmission rate that is currently used by cellular data network providers.
The breakthrough, reported in Nature Communication, allows for the faster transfer of data. Current technology uses microwaves, which reach lower frequencies. With the new technology, the researchers were able to send transmissions of up to 10 gigabits per second, error free. Boosting the transmission to 50 gigabits per second was also achieved, although it produced a few errors, which the researchers have shown can be fixed with error correction technology that is already employed in telecommunications.
“We showed that we can transmit separate data streams on terahertz waves at very high speeds and with very low error rates,” corresponding author Professor Daniel Mittleman, from Brown University, said in a statement. “This is the first time anybody has characterized a terahertz multiplexing system using actual data, and our results show that our approach could be viable in future terahertz wireless networks.”
The multiplexer uses a single guideline to transmit both signals at the same time. The guideline has a slit cut into it and some of the signals will leak out of it. The angle at which they leak out depends on the frequency of the signal so the two signals won’t interfere with each other. So currently, the angle of the receiver is very important to keep the error rate down.
“If the angle is a little off, we might be detecting the full power of the signal, but we’re receiving one sideband a little better than the other, which increases the error rate,” Mittleman explained. “So it’s important to have the angle right.”
This will be very important to the design of a full terahertz telecommunication system. But it’s not the only hurdle. As with every emergent technology, the path from the lab to the public is long. However, the team has already put in some of the groundwork by already getting the terahertz frequencies approved by the Federal Communication Commissions (FCC).
“We think that we have the highest-frequency license currently issued by the FCC, and we hope it’s a sign that the agency is starting to think seriously about terahertz communication,” Mittleman said. “Companies are going to be reluctant to develop terahertz technologies until there’s a serious effort by regulators to allocate frequency bands for specific uses, so this is a step in the right direction.”
One day soon, we might be able to stream movies on the go without delay. One can but dream.
