World's first 6G chip comes from China sporting speeds up to 100 Gbps

Chinese researchers are back with a new breakthrough in the wireless networking field. The chip unveiled by a team that has brought together scientists from Peking University and the City University of Hong Kong is capable of providing speeds up to 100 Gbps but is just a working prototype.

The chip measures 11 millimeters by 1.7 millimeters and has a broad frequency range of 0.5 GHz to 115 GHz. The hardware currently available commercially requires nine different systems to cover this range, but the new design brings all needed parts into a single thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) item.

According to the aforementioned team of researchers, the system uses a new technology for generating and transmitting signals. The hardware involves a broadband electro-optic modulator that transforms wireless signals into optical ones. These signals are then processed by optoelectronic oscillators to create steady signals that span the frequency range. The tests conducted so far delivered excellent results, such as a frequency tuning value as low as 180 microseconds and a bandwidth exceeding 100 GHz.

Sadly, 6G networks need dedicated infrastructure and compatible end-user devices to work with. Because of this, most industry analysts forecast that commercial applications will not be available anytime sooner than 2030.