Loughborough University Builds Rice-Sized Chip That Generates Multiple 6G Frequencies
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · Aug 24
Loughborough University Builds Rice-Sized Chip That Generates Multiple 6G Frequencies
3 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Aug 24
Summary
Loughborough University researchers built a grain-of-rice microcomb chip that generates a stable “rainbow” of light, producing multiple millimeter-wave frequencies from one device instead of a single precise signal.
Those higher-frequency bands carry far more bandwidth than standard microwave and lower radio bands, making them a candidate for faster, higher-capacity 6G links and precision timing in quantum technologies.
The team said the chip stayed precise and stable even under physical disturbance, with its microresonator feeding light back through the loop so the frequency states self-start and remain robust.
The prototype still relies on a tabletop lab system, but researchers are now targeting smaller, more energy-efficient versions for real-world use, including satellites where size, weight and power are critical.
Beyond communications, the same frequencies could support radar, spectroscopy and astronomical instruments, though the researchers said practical deployment remains some way off despite clearing a major technical hurdle.