Ultra-high data rates transmitted at THz frequencies Electronic beam steering demonstrated for the first time

How will we cooperate in the future office? It is for granted, that ever increasing data volumes have to be made available within ultra-short time periods. This sets high-level requirements on the wireless communication infrastructure. The use THz frequencies form 300 GHz to 3 THz enable the transmission of Terabytes of data within a couple of seconds. Before this spectrum can be commercially explored high technological hurdles have to be overcome. One challenges could be now met: For the first time electronic beam steering at such high frequencies has been demonstrate replacing mechanical beam steering, which was used up to now.

This is a major step towards an industrial the realization in applications like wireless data centers, smart office or wireless backhauling in cellular networks.

Researchers from Technische Universität Braunschweig, the Universität Stuttgart and Fraunhofer Institut für angewandte Festkörperphysik at Freiburg IAF demosonstrate electronic beamsteering at the NGMN Industry Conference and Exhibition taking place at Frankfurt on 12-13 October 2016. This will complement the demonstration of multi-gigabit data transmission at a carrier frequency of 300 GHz shown for the first time by the same TERAPAN consortium (Terahertz Communication for future Personal Area Networks) in March 2015.

„We have reached a mile stone n the way to the development of commercial applications for wireless communications at THz frequencies”, explains Prof. Thomas Kürner, project coordinator of the TERAPAN. “EBy electronic beam steering we are able to significantly improves the demonstrator compared to its first version towards practical applications of the concept.”

TERAPAN is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research under the framework of its VIP (validating the innovation potential) initiative and runs from August 2013 to July 2016. The Project partners complement their expertise in design and fabrication of monolithically integrated transceiver chips including their characterization with the design of wireless systems at terahertz

Further information: www.terapan.de, www.ngmn.org