Researchers in Germany have reportedly set a new world record for wireless data transmission using a combination of photonic and electronic technologies.
In a successful experiment at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, researchers were able to transmit 100 Gbs of data per second at a frequency of 237.5 GHz over a distance of 20 meters. Previous attempts have yielded rates of 40 gigabits per second and transmission distances of more than 1 km.
“Our project focused on integration of a broadband radio relay link into fiber-optical systems,” Professor Ingmar Kallfass said. He coordinated the “Millilink” project under a shared professorship funded by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
Kalfass believes the technology could be particularly beneficial in certain applications.
“For rural areas in particular, this technology represents an inexpensive and flexible alternative to optical fiber networks, whose extension can often not be justified from an economic point of view,” he said.
In addition, the technology could be used in private homes. “At a data rate of 100 gigabits per second, it would be possible to transmit the contents of a blue-ray disk or of five DVDs between two devices by radio within two seconds only.”
The research team combined photonic and electronic technologies to achieve their wireless speed breakthrough, using an optical method to generate radio signals that were then received by integrated electronic circuits created by the Fraunhofer Institute of Applied Solid State Physics (IAF).
“It is a major advantage of the photonic method that data streams from fiber-optical systems can directly be converted into high-frequency radio signals,” Professor Jürg Leuthold, former head of the KIT Institute of Photonics and Quantum Electronics (IPQ) who is now affiliated with ETH Zurich, said. He proposed the photonic extension that was realized in this project. “This advantage makes the integration of radio relay links of high bit rates into optical fiber networks easier and more flexible.”
“Due to the large bandwidth and the good linearity of the photon mixer, the method is excellently suited for transmission of advanced modulation formats with multiple amplitude and phase states. This will be a necessity in future fiber-optical systems.”
