Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Ranjan Singh, Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of Notre Dame

Chip that steers terahertz beams sets stage for ultrafast internet of the future

The angles and branches in this illustration of a chip are key to using terahertz waves for the next generation of high-speed wireless communications. Wenhao Wang, Guillaume Ducournau, and Ranjan Singh

Imagine a future where internet connections are not only lightning-fast but also remarkably reliable, even in crowded spaces. This vision is rapidly approaching reality, thanks to new research on terahertz communications technologies. These innovations are set to transform wireless communication, particularly as communications technology advances toward the next generation of networks, 6G.

I’m an engineer who focuses on photonics, the study of how light and other electromagnetic waves are generated and detected. In this research, my colleagues and I have developed a silicon topological beamformer chip. Topological refers to physical features in the silicon that help steer terahertz waves, and beamformer refers to the purpose of the chip: forming terahertz waves into directed beams.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.