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Terahertz Wireless Chip Will Bring 30Gbps Networks
MrSeb writes "Rohm, a Japanese semiconductor company, has created a silicon chip and antenna that's currently capable of transmitting 1.5Gbps, with the potential to scale up to 30Gbps in the future. While this is a lot faster than anything currently on the market, the significant advance here is the reception and transmission of terahertz waves (300GHz to 3THz) using a chip and antenna that's just two centimeters long. Rohm says it will only cost $5 when it comes to market in a few years — a stark comparison to current terahertz gear that's both large and expensive. The problem with terahertz transmissions, though, is that it's highly directional — with a submillimeter wavelength, it's more like a laser than a signal. Terahertz waves might enable awesome device-to-device networks, but it isn't going to bring 30Gbps internet to a whole city block. More interestingly, submillimeter terahertz radiation is the next step up from the gigahertz radiation used in full-body millimeter wave scanners. Terahertz waves can not only see through clothing, but can also penetrate a few millimeters of skin."
Terahertz radiation is non-ionizing, unlike say X-Rays. This type of radiation is used in things like bomb detectors and to inspect explosives and other unstable compounds because it can penetrate a few millimeters but does not break down molecular bonds.
apparently nothing, because higher frequencies have horrible ranges. This stuff might work at ridiculously short range, but also won't be able to penetrate through anything which would enable it to work anywhere significant. Look at how tough even the 2.4ghz stuff like wireless devices can barely even penetrate a few walls, and now we're talking terahertz?
Long story short, nothing, because this product will never even give you 1.5Gbps.
This article is basically nonsense. I work with folks who actually make terahertz radio equipment for radio astronomy. It seems like the last place in the spectrum you'd go to for anything practical. The technology is very primitive, since there has been little application for it, since the signals are quickly absorbed by water vapor in the atmosphere. My coworkers are currently in Antarctica to do some astronomy, because there's very little water in the air there.
A stable local oscillator that puts out any useful amount of terahertz power is very difficult to make. You are lucky to get a few microwatts. The signals aren't quite as directional as a laser, but they're too directional to be of much use for the wireless networking that we are familiar with.
There are optical ways of making signals at terahertz frequencies, which may hold more promise, but they're being used in only a few exotic applications, such as the ALMA interferometer array in Chile.
The determined Real Programmer can write Fortran programs in any language.
Non ionizing != safe.
There's a reason there's a little grill on your microwave door window.
Somehow I doubt these will be transmitting a 1000W. It can still be safe, even without the little grill.