Stochastic Channel Modeling for Kiosk Applications in the Terahertz Band

Terahertz (THz) Kiosk application offers ultrahigh downloads of digital information to users' handheld devices. System configuration and multiple paths between the transmitter and receiver have important impact on the achievable data rates. In this paper, the propagation channel of THz Kiosk downloading application is investigated and a stochastic channel model is proposed. Based on channel measurements using a vector network analyzer, a 3-D ray-tracing simulator is calibrated to conduct simulations for an in-depth analysis of the different channel characteristics. Successively, the observed propagation paths are classified and the key channel parameters in time, frequency, and spatial domains are modeled for each type of ray. The resulting stochastic model is evaluated in terms of Rician K-factor and root mean square delay spread. Compared to the reference data, the mean absolute errors of these two metrics of the three investigated scenarios are less than 1.48 dB and 0.07 ns, respectively. The results show that the target 100 gigabits per second data rate is achievable at tens of gigahertz system bandwidth at proper communication distance and higher order modulation schemes. The developed channel model allows system design engineers to generate realizations of propagation channel efficiently for designing Kiosk-fashion close-proximity communication systems in the THz band.