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Using the Terahertz Spectrum for Wireless Communication

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the kicking-it-up-a-notch dept.

holy_calamity writes "A first step to allowing wireless data transfer over a currently unused part of the electromagnetic spectrum is reported in New Scientist. Terahertz radiation exists between radio and infrared. A new filter created at the University of Utah can filter out particular frequencies, a prerequisite for using it for data. The abstract of the paper in the journal Nature is freely available."

5 of 134 comments (clear)

  1. ridiculously expensive by evwah · · Score: 5, Informative

    I regularly work with equipment that produces signals up to 50 GHz and let me tell you... components get much higher in cost the higher in frequency they go. a 3 foot 40GHz cable can cost hundreds of dollars and a 100GHz connector can cost a thousand dollars or more on its own. I imagine that producing and transmitting signals in the terahertz range is not economically viable for most companies.

  2. Re:It might just take a while by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...so communication would have to be rather short-haul as in LAN.

    Perhaps TFA should have mentioned that.
     
    Wait...

  3. Re:Geek into English. by rhythmx · · Score: 5, Informative

    Basically it says that putting the holes in a fractal pattern give much better results than holes in more 'normal' pattern. The rest is Calculus explaining how they can generate patterns that are really good at transmitting a certain frequency.

    Sounds really interesting. I wonder if any of this applies to antenna design at average RF.

  4. Re:Hmm, by NixieBunny · · Score: 4, Informative

    The microwave spectrum really ends at about 30 GHz, with the frequencies from 30G-300GHz called millimeter wave, and those from 300 GHz up called submillimeter. Terahertz technology is quite in its infancy. There was a terahertz conference last week, so the office I work in was pretty well cleared out. (I work on spectrometers that use what we consider low frequencies, The other thing about terahertz waves is that they behave quasi-optically, being focused by teflon lenses and blocked by cardboard. So it's not a radio band that one would use for cellphones.

    --
    The determined Real Programmer can write Fortran programs in any language.
  5. Re:It might just take a while by DarkAxi0m · · Score: 5, Informative

    or... it could be for Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array - National Radio Astronomy Observatory :P

    http://www.alma.nrao.edu/

    Google can be your friend too.. .