New polarisation multiplexer to release 6G potential

6G is expected to be faster than 5G, with speeds up to one terabyte per second compared to 5G's peak speed of 20 gigabits per second. 

By operating at terahertz frequencies, these systems can support unparalleled bandwidth, enabling ultra-fast wireless communication and data transfer. A significant challenge in terahertz communications is effectively managing and utilising the available spectrum.

Now, the team has developed the first ultra-wideband integrated terahertz polarisation (de)multiplexer implemented on a substrateless silicon base that they tested in the sub-terahertz J-band (220-330GHz) for 6G communications and beyond.

The University’s Professor Withawat Withayachumnankul from the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering led the team, which included former PhD student at the University of Adelaide, Dr Weijie Gao, who is now a postdoctoral researcher working alongside Professor Masayuki Fujita at Osaka University.

“Our proposed polarisation multiplexer will allow multiple data streams to be transmitted simultaneously over the same frequency band, effectively doubling the data capacity,” Professor Withayachumnankul said in a statement. “This large relative bandwidth is a record for any integrated multiplexers found in any frequency range. If it were to be scaled to the centre frequency of the optical communications bands, such a bandwidth could cover all the optical communications bands.”