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Chinese researchers just set a new world record for terahertz wireless transmission distance, potentially paving the way for ultra-high bandwidth communication networks in the future.
Chinese researchers just achieved a major milestone that could shape the future of how we transmit data. A team led by the Purple Mountain Observatory in China successfully pulled off the first-ever kilometer-level terahertz wireless transmission – and they didn’t just eke it out. They smashed the distance record.
The test, which took place at a remote observation base on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at over 4,000 meters above sea level, managed to transmit high-definition video signals 1.2 kilometers using terahertz frequencies above 0.5 THz.
Big Deal
We have an explainer for why terahertz is a big deal. But in brief, all you need to know is that the technology offers better penetration, higher bandwidth, and better transmission rates than any other wireless protocol. It falls between microwaves and infrared light, giving it these traits.
However, pushing that all that bandwidth over long distances has been a struggle so far, since terahertz signals get weakened fast as they travel. That’s where the Chinese team’s use of superconducting receiver tech came into play – it can detect incredibly faint signals without adding extra noise.
Mydrivers reports that this breakthrough is the product of over 30 years of research by Chinese scientists diving deep into terahertz astronomy detection and superconductor sensor design. Their hard work seems to be paying off now.
One researcher described current microwave links as a “two-lane road” while terahertz is ready to “increase it to six or eight lanes” by opening up a vast new spectrum. That’s the capacity we may need as data demand keeps exploding every year. Terahertz tech could also supercharge fields like space communications and medical imaging.
