Researchers have come up with a prototype that can theoretically give data transfer rates of 10 terabits per second which is several thousand times faster than average broadband, in other words.
This extreme jump could be made possible by switching to very very high frequency for the data transfer, allowing more bandwidth (a greater volume of data) to fit in the same space, and increasing the overall transfer rate.
Previously, there were some doubts on higher frequency wave structure but now the scientists think that they may have cracked the problem.
“It is exciting to show that a waveguide can support a data rate of 10 terabits per second, even if only over a short-range,” says physicist Daniel Mittleman, from Brown University in Rhode Island.
“That’s well beyond what anybody has previously envisioned.”
“Our work demonstrates the feasibility of this approach to high-rate data transmission, which can be further exploited when the sources and detectors reach the appropriate level of maturity.”
The present work is built on the principles of DSL services (Digital Subscriber Line), which enable broadband connection through standard phone lines. In this case, the signal frequency goes up to 200 gigahertz instead of just a few megahertz.
Researchers used a device with two parallel wires held together in a metal sheath, they then measured the output energy on a 13 mm x 13 mm grid of squares.
Based on the results, the team said that speeds of up to 10 terabits per second should be possible over 3 meters, dropping to 30 gigabits per second over 15 meters.
They could not achieve the same speed for longer distances because of energy lost through the metallic enclosure. The next step in the research is to find a solution to this energy loss.
Further experiments could see the rate speed or the range extend even further, which might be enough to keep us going until quantum internet arrives. It’s one of several innovations scientists are exploring as our need for super-fast data transfer grows.
“The rise in consumer data usage has increased the demand for higher data rates in telecommunication in both wireless and wired systems,” says the researchers.
The research was published in Applied Physics Letters.
