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Photonics Breakthrough Paving the Way For Improved Wireless Communication Systems


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Schematic illustration of the fast control of RF signals.

Researchers at the University of Sydney's Australian Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology have made a breakthrough in achieving radio-frequency signal control at sub-nanosecond time scales on a chip-scale optical device.

Credit: University of Sydney

Researchers at the University of Sydney's Australian Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology say they have made a breakthrough in achieving radio-frequency (RF) signal control at sub-nanosecond time scales on a chip-scale optical device.

They say the research could unlock the bandwidth bottleneck faced by wireless networks worldwide.

"By creating very fast tunable delay lines on chip, one eventually can provide broader bandwidth instantaneously to more users," says Sydney researcher Yang Liu. "The ability of rapidly controlling RF signal is a crucial performance for applications in both our daily life and defense."

The researchers developed a technique based on optical control with response times faster than one nanosecond. Liu notes the technology could be used to build more efficient radars to detect enemy attacks.

The researchers achieved the breakthrough on an integrated photonic chip, which they say makes possible ultrafast and reconfigurable on-chip RF systems.

From University of Sydney
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Abstracts Copyright © 2017 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA


 

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