Working prototype light-based semiconductor chip has been built for 6G and 7G connectivity

admin18 December 2023Last Update :
Working prototype light-based semiconductor chip has been built for 6G and 7G connectivity

Working prototype light-based semiconductor chip has been built for 6G and 7G connectivity،

Have you ever wondered about 6G? We will use 5G as the first line of mobile connectivity until 2030, but there is no better time than now to implement the wireless standards for 6G. According to an article published last month by Natural communications (via Live Science), scientists have developed a new light-based photonic semiconductor chip capable of connecting at high radio bandwidths. This will allow the chips to be used not only for 6G but also for 7G.
A working prototype of the chip was created measuring 0.2 x 0.2 inches (5 mm by 5 mm) by attaching the necessary electronic and photonic chips to the array, in the same way that children assemble brick toys in Lego plastic. Using photonic components on a traditional circuit board, RF bandwidth has been increased, as has signal accuracy at high frequencies.

Conventional chips block signals in the wrong frequency range using microwave filters. On a light-based chip, adding a microwave photonic filter can help fine-tune the component, allowing it to connect to signals at specific frequencies. This is a big deal because it allows the component to capture more precise information.

Ben Eggleton, Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Sydney, said: “Microwave photonic filters play a crucial role in modern communications and radar applications, providing the flexibility to accurately filter different frequencies, thereby reducing electromagnetic interference and improving signal quality. ,”

6G is expected to operate on higher frequencies, between 7 GHz and 15 GHz, according to the Global Systems for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA). This is where the use of photonics comes into play as it will allow mobile devices to operate with mmWave bands above 30 GHz.

So, to reiterate, these prototype communications chips will offer much higher RF bandwidth capabilities, and with the microwave photonic filter, they will eliminate high-band interference, which is important because high-band frequencies high only travel short distances but have greater energy. capacitance which usually causes interference.

We still have at least seven years until 6G launches and this technology might not even be ready by then, or another breakthrough might be invented. Still, it appears that photonic light-based communications chips for mobile devices are something to watch.