Characterization of Terahertz Spectral Bands for Next Generation of Wireless Communications

Abstract: The ever-increasing demand for high-speed data transmission continues to motivate research and development efforts towards the sixth generation (6G) of wireless communication technologies and beyond. The use of terahertz (THz) carrier frequencies is considered to achieve faster data transmission rates, with the potential to reach terabits per second. However, there is a necessity to study the impact of environmental factors affecting the signal transmission at these frequencies. One key challenge of THz signal propagation through air is water vapor absorption, which can severely limit the broadcast distance of THz wireless communications. In this work, we investigate the propagation distance of several THz channels under 35 % relative humidity atmospheric conditions using a table-top THz spectroscopy apparatus equipped with a sensitive THz detection system based on nonlinear parametric upconversion. Our results show seven transmission bands between 1 and 3 THz with negligible signal absorption at different propagation lengths with potential application in short-, mid- and long-range wireless communications.