Silicon-Based Terahertz Transmitter/Receiver for Ultra-High Data Rate and Long Distance Communications

This paper reports a silicon-based terahertz (THz) transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx) system designed for ultra-high data rate and long-distance wireless communications. To overcome the substantial challenges of THz frequency band, such as significant signal attenuation, complex interconnect losses, high costs and heat dissipation, a high-output-power Tx, a low-noise-figure Rx, and a wide-bandwidth low-loss chip-to-waveguide transition are employed. The single-channel Tx-Rx link exhibits a 50 Gbps data rate with 16-QAM modulation. By utilizing a two-dimensional (2D) planar array formation, the multi-channel Tx-Rx effectively supports an overall 160 Gbps data rate over a distance of 1.7 kilometers. This work significantly advances the field of THz communications, illustrating the potential of silicon-based technologies in shaping the future landscape of wireless communication systems.