Abstract The large available bandwidth at sub-terahertz and terahertz frequencies has the potential to enable very high data rates for wireless communications. Moreover, given the large electrical size of terahertz antenna apertures, many future terahertz communication systems will likely operate in the near field. However, due to their reliance on highly directional beams, terahertz systems are susceptible to blockage. Here, we propose using Bessel beams to overcome issues caused by blockage due to their diffraction-free nature and self-healing properties in the near field. We compare the performance of information-bearing Bessel beams and Gaussian beams with and without an obstacle. We later discuss the use of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces to construct terahertz Bessel beams. Finally, we propose a metric to quantify the quality of imperfectly generated terahertz Bessel beams and explore their ability to self-heal. The results demonstrate that Bessel beams are an attractive option for near-field terahertz communications, especially when mitigating the effects of partial blockage.
more »
« less
This content will become publicly available on June 1, 2027
Secrecy Capacity of Airy Beams
Communication in the terahertz (THz) frequency band is a key focus for the next generation of wireless systems, in part because of the possibility for enhanced security in combination with ultra-high data rates. To enable communication links in the presence of blockage of a directional line-of-sight beam, self-accelerating THz beams have recently been proposed. For such beams, the main lobe radiated from an aperture follows some engineered curved trajectory in the electromagnetic near field. Self-accelerating beams enable advantages unlike traditional beams by curving around potential eavesdroppers located in the vicinity of the radiating aperture. Here, we theoretically and experimentally analyze the security implications of such beams by evaluating their secrecy capacity. We also explore the implications of blockage and self-healing on this security metric.
more »
« less
- PAR ID:
- 10696500
- Publisher / Repository:
- IEEE
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology
- Volume:
- 16
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 2156-342X
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 640 to 646
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Abstract A key challenge in millimeter-wave and terahertz wireless networks is blockage of the line-of-sight path between a base station and a user. User and environmental mobility can lead to blockage of highly directional beams by intervening people or objects, yielding link disruptions and poor quality of service. Here, we propose a solution to this problem which leverages the fact that, in such scenarios, users are likely to be located within the electromagnetic near field of the base station, which opens the possibility to engineer wave fronts for link maintenance. We show that curved beams, carrying data at high bit rates, can realize a link by curving around an intervening obstacle. We develop a model to analyze and experimentally evaluate the bandwidth limitations imposed by the use of self accelerating beams. We also demonstrate that such links employ the full aperture of the transmitter, even those portions which have no direct line of sight to the receiver, emphasizing that ray optics fails to capture the behavior of these near-field wave fronts. This approach, which is ideally suited for use at millimeter-wave and terahertz frequencies, opens vast new possibilities for wave front management in directional wireless networks.more » « less
-
Abstract Wireless systems are facing increasing pressure due to the growing demand for data transmission. One potential solution to this problem is to shift communication frequencies toward the terahertz (THz) spectrum. However, this requires the development of new components that can efficiently process signals at these high frequencies and transmit them via highly directional beams. In this study, a novel approach is proposed to achieving efficient THz signal processing by combining two existing technologies: photonic crystals and leaky‐wave antennas. Incorporating a 2D photonic crystal inside a leaky‐wave waveguide allows to manipulate the wave vector of the guided wave in unique ways, which in turn impacts the far‐field radiation pattern emitted through the leaky‐wave aperture. The device fabrication uses 3D printing of alumina and allows for convenient and scalable manufacturing. Through numerical simulations and experiments, free‐space data transmission at rates of few hundred Mbps at a carrier frequency of 101.2 GHz is demonstrated. The findings illustrate the feasibility of photonic crystal‐based leaky‐wave antennas and lay the groundwork for the development of compact and high‐performance components for THz wireless communication systems.more » « less
-
Due to their unique non-diffracting properties, Bessel beams have been studied across microwave to optical frequency regimes. Although several schemes for generating Bessel beams at microwave and terahertz (THz) frequencies have been demonstrated, these works have mainly focused on symmetric Bessel beams with little attention being given to asymmetric forms. In addition, existing methods are often technically involved, bulky, and costly. To address the gap in the generation of asymmetric beams and the identified challenges with contemporary generation schemes, we show that it is possible to produce both asymmetric and symmetric Bessel beams in a relatively simple and cost-effective manner using a planar Archimedean spiral zone plate. We fabricate this device using 3D printing and use it as a Bessel beam launcher operating at 0.2 THz. The zone plate generates an asymmetric Bessel beam close to the aperture through superposition of Bessel modes. As the axial distance is increased, the beam evolves into a symmetric Bessel beam.more » « less
-
The availability of large bandwidths in the terahertz (THz) band will be a crucial enabler of high data rate applications in next-generation wireless communication systems. The urban microcellular scenario is an essential deployment scenario where the base station (BS) is significantly higher than the user equipment (UE). Under practical operating conditions, moving objects (i.e., blockers) can intermittently obstruct various parts of the BSUE link. Therefore, in the current paper, we analyze the effect of such blockers. We assume a blockage of the strongest beam pair and investigate the availability and extent of angular diversity, i.e., alternative beampairs that can sustain communication when the strongest is blocked. The analysis uses double-directional channel measurements in urban microcellular scenarios for 145- 146 GHz with BS-UE distances between 18 to 83 m. We relate the communication-system quantities of beam diversity and capacity to the wireless propagation conditions. We show that the SNR loss due to blockage depends on the blocked angular range and the specific location, and we find mean blockage loss to be on the order of 10-20 dB in line-of-sight (LOS) and 5-12 dB in NLOS (non-LOS). This analysis can contribute to the design of intelligent algorithms or devices (e.g., beamforming, intelligent reflective surfaces) to overcome the impact of the blockage.more » « less
An official website of the United States government
