6G connectivity: Terahertz wireless to merge with fibre optics
Within the framework of the EU-funded Terranova project, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF are already working together with scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich Hertz Institute, HHI and other partners from industry and research on the next but one mobile radio standard. The aim is to enable a network connection in the terahertz frequency range, which is so stable that data can also be transported wirelessly at speeds of up to 400 gigabits per second. As a first intermediate goal the researchers intend to embed terahertz radio solutions in fiber optic networks with high data rates, open up new frequency bands and thus pave the way for a resilient communications infrastructure that will meet the demands of the future.
One way of providing high data rates is to expand the fiber optic network. However, this is associated with high costs on the one hand and does not solve the challenge of supplying mobile devices with high data rates on the other. The solution: The researchers combine fiber optic technology with radio link transmission. However, the frequencies at which mobile phones are currently operating are too low to provide the bandwidth needed for transmission at fibre-optic level. “In order to achieve a data rate on the radio link that is comparable to that of the optical fibre, the transmissions must use frequencies in the terahertz range. Although they have a lower range than megahertz frequencies, they have a significantly higher bandwidth. The frequencies used for the 4G standard (LTE) cover the range from 800 to 2600 megahertz, which translates into a maximum bandwidth of 1 Gbps. With frequencies in the terahertz range, however, there is sufficient bandwidth to achieve data rates of up to 400 gigabits per second,” explains project manager Dr. Thomas Merkle from Fraunhofer IAF. “For this reason, we are working on transferring optical to wireless data transmission, i. e. we want to fully exploit the potential inherent in optical fibre, but not limit it to the cable, but also to the radio link.”
Bandwidth is a key challenge. This is mainly since more and more end devices and areas are taking part in communication – from mobile phones to cars, from smart home to industry 4.0. The endeavor is not only just about bandwidth and latency. Another challenge to be addressed is the seamless transition between access technologies. Mobile users are already today switching between mobile phone networks and wireless LANs, depending on availability; with laptops and tablets, there is also the option of dialing into the Internet via cable connections. However, currently there is no smooth transition between the access types, so that interruptions occur when switching. One of Terranova’s goals is therefore to create the user experience in such a way that users do not notice transitions between access technologies.
The challenges in the development of the next generation of mobile communications beyond are both at the component level and in the interaction of all network elements. The Fraunhofer IAF focuses primarily on the radio link and the integration of radio modules at chip level. One of the challenges is to integrate a baseband interface to the fiber and to consider the conversion of the signals on the chip. The Fraunhofer HHI, on the other hand, is investigating signal processing, i. e. the processing of the signals so that they can be radiated from the antenna as smoothly as possible. This signal processing has to be done at very high speeds, for which special algorithms have to be developed, which convert the signal processing as efficiently as possible and thus save energy.
In close cooperation, the researchers of Fraunhofer IAF and Fraunhofer HHI are developing and testing the hardware implementations of the future-oriented network structure. The two institutes’ different focal points complement each other. While the Fraunhofer HHI contributes its expertise in the field of network concepts and well-founded experience from numerous 5G projects as well as fiber optics, the Fraunhofer IAF contributes its experience from radio frequency directional radio technology and millimeter wave technology in the analogue sector. Precisely because these areas are often dealt with separately, the scientists see great potential for the expansion of high-speed Internet in the cooperation between the two institutes.
From 14 to 17 November, the scientists will be presenting their research work on the Terranova project (Hall B2.317) at Productronica in Munich.
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