Researchers from theUniversity College of London have just set a new record in mattermatter wireless transmission, achieving a vitessevitesse of 938 gigabits per second (Gbps). In an article published in the journal Journal of Lightwave Technologythey detailed their method which combines radio and optical technologies.
The main wireless technologies, namely Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 5G, mainly operate on frequencies up to 6 GHz. To achieve such a transmission speed, the researchers had to use much higher frequencies, bringing together those from 5 to 150 GHz.
Lasers to generate millimeter radio waves
To generate the signals for the frequency bands from 5 to 75 GHz, the researchers used digital-to-digital converters.analoganalog. However, beyond that, the task becomes more complicated and, above all, by keeping carriers synchronized. For this, they used technologies optoelectronicoptoelectronic to generate radio waves in the millimeter bands between 75 and 150 GHz, relying in particular on laserslasers frequency locked.
This advancement could greatly accelerate speeds for Wi-Fi and networks mobilesmobileswhile providing more stability when a large number of devices connect to the same network. While this technology is impressive for wireless, it still remains very far from the record of 22.9 petabits per second obtained by optical fiber, or around 25,000 times faster.
Researchers have already started work on a prototype intended for commercial trials. If the tests prove conclusive, this technology could begin to be deployed within three to five years.
