The race toward sixth-generation (6G) wireless has been fueled by a simple but daunting requirement: future networks must span frequencies all the way from today’s microwave bands through millimeter-wave and into the terahertz range. That’s far more spectrum than current hardware can efficiently cover, and it demands reconfigurable systems that adapt in real time.
A team from Peking University, the City University of Hong Kong, and the University of California, Santa Barbara has now demonstrated a prototype that takes a big step toward that goal. Their chip, described in Nature, operates across an unprecedented 0.5 GHz to 115 GHz range and has already shown real-world data rates exceeding 100 gigabits per second.
Photonics at the Core
At the heart of the design is a thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) platform, which uses the Pockels effect for high-speed electro-optic modulation. The material’s scalability allows multiple key functions to be built into a single monolithic chip, including:
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Baseband modulation
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Wireless–photonic conversion
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Carrier and local signal generation
To generate the ultra-wideband frequencies, the system relies on tunable optoelectronic oscillators, which deliver both stability and coherence across the full spectrum.
Nine Bands, One Chip
The result is a “one-size-fits-all” hardware solution that spans nine consecutive radio bands. Rather than relying on different chips for different frequencies, the prototype can dynamically shift across the spectrum, supporting full-link wireless communication without swapping hardware. In testing, the device achieved lane speeds up to 100 Gbps — an order of magnitude faster than 5G’s theoretical maximum.
Adaptive Spectrum Management
Beyond raw speed, the chip offers another critical feature: real-time reconfigurability. In dense spectrum environments, where multiple devices and services compete for bandwidth, the ability to allocate frequencies on demand is essential. By supporting adaptive frequency allocation, the chip improves reliability and sets the stage for practical deployment in environments that will only grow more crowded in the 2030s.
A Step Toward 6G Readiness
Although commercial 6G networks are still years away, the prototype highlights how photonics may be the enabling technology that brings full-spectrum coverage into a compact form factor. The researchers describe their system as a marked step toward “omni-scenario” wireless networks, where everything from industrial robots to autonomous vehicles could rely on the same ultrabroadband infrastructure.
For engineers, the takeaway is clear: future wireless systems won’t just push for higher speeds, but for flexibility. Hardware that can cover microwave through terahertz in a single, reconfigurable platform could be what makes 6G practical when the decade of deployment arrives.
Original Journal Article: Ultrabroadband on-chip photonics for full-spectrum wireless communications | Nature
