Record Wireless Data Transmission
For many of us, the Internet likely enters our homes via a physical cable, but for many people, this is not the case. Connecting rural areas can be a very expensive task as so much equipment has to be installed. Wireless communication however is a cheaper alternative, and researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics have recently set a new record of 100 Gbps over the air.
To achieve this record, the systems starts by generating two laser signals, which are superimposed on a photodiode. The photodiode then produces an electrical signal with a frequency matching the difference between the two laser signals, 237.5 GHz. That electrical signal is then transmitted by an antenna to a receiver with integrated circuits containing high-electron-mobility transistors. These transistors are able to operate with signals with frequencies between 200 and 280 GHz, and the chips are able to work with advanced modulation formats, which means the wireless system can be integrated into optical fiber networks in a bit-transparent way.
Through this combination of technology, the researchers were able to reach 100 Gbps over a distance of 20 m, and that is just the beginning. Advances will allow for greater range and definitely greater speeds as multiplexing methods are added.