Wireless Terahertz Communications

Over the past years, interest in wireless THz communications with so-called T-waves has tremendously increased [1]–[4], because the large carrier frequencies in the range 0.2 THz to 0.9 THz support wide signal band-widths and consequently large data rates. Transmission over hundreds of meters and line rates exceeding 100 Gbit/s were demonstrated [5]–[10]. Typical atmospheric losses are 0.2 dB/100 m at 0.2 THz, 0.5 dB/100 m at 0.3 THz, 1.5 dB/100 m at 0.4 THz, and 5 dB/100 m at 0.9 THz. For transmission over a 100 m-distance, however, the unity-gain free-space propagation loss aL=100m dB = 10lg(4πL/λ)2 = 120dB (λ = 1mm, f = 0.3THz) dominates. To combat this propagation loss, multiple directional antennas with a high gain per sector can be employed at the base station to boost the reach and the data throughput on transmission and reception.