Research breakthrough opens doors for 6G mobile advances

Scientists say their work could result in ultra-fast wireless communication

6G will offer hugely upgraded mobile communications

Some of the biggest hurdles in reaching 6G communications – more data sent much faster on unrestricted bandwidth – could have been unlocked by a team of scientists in Australia.

They say they have developed a polarisation multiplexer that significantly improves current availability that could be key to realising the ambitions of 6G mobile tech.

The multiplexer makes it possible for several input signals to share one device or resource – such as the data of several phone calls being carried on a single wire.

6G – the next generation of wireless communication – expands on the infrastructure of 5G but will also be designed to surpass it.

6G aims to operate at one terabyte – 1,000 gigabytes of data at one microsecond, while 5G delivers 20 gigabytes at 1,000 microseconds.

The scientists from The University of Adelaide, whose work is published in the journal Laser & Photonic Reviews, say their work brings 6G communications much closer.

“Our proposed polarisation multiplexer will allow multiple data streams to be transmitted simultaneously over the same frequency band, effectively doubling the data capacity,” said Prof Withawat Withayachumnankul from Adelaide’s School of Electrical Engineering.

“This large relative bandwidth is a record for any integrated multiplexers found in any frequency range.”

The terahertz frequencies – which can support unprecedented bandwidth – allow ultra-fast wireless communication and data transfer, but there have been problems in effectively managing and utilising the spectrum.

The Adelaide multiplexer could help answer those issues.

The new device effectively doubles communication capacity under the same bandwidth with lower data loss than existing devices.

“This innovation not only enhances the efficiency of terahertz communication systems but also paves the way for more robust and reliable high-speed wireless networks,” said Dr Weijie Gao, a postdoctoral researcher collaborating with Prof Masayuki Fujita at Osaka University.

“As a result, the polarisation multiplexer is a key enabler in realising the full potential of terahertz communications, driving forward advancements in various fields such as high-definition video streaming, augmented reality and next-generation mobile networks.”

The work significantly advances the practicality of terahertz technologies.

“By overcoming key technical barriers, this innovation is poised to catalyse a surge of interest and research activity in the field,” said Prof Fujita, who is a co-author of the paper.

“We anticipate that within the next one to two years, researchers will begin to explore new applications and refine the technology.”