Long-Distance, Multi-Gigabit-Per-Second Terahertz Wireless Communication

The performance of long-distance, terahertz wireless communication is rapidly improving to the extent that applications such as wireless backhaul are becoming feasible. Nevertheless, the combination of long distance and ultrabroadband operation introduce several unique challenges. We report on a 2.92 km wireless communication link operating at 130 GHz, achieving bit rates over 8 gigabit-per-second using a QPSK modulation scheme. Two different baseband signal generators were tested to qualify both methods. The system employed was built almost entirely from commercially available components. Several practical challenges encountered in this demonstration are discussed.