Engineers at the University of California, Irvine have created a new wireless transceiver that can send and receive data at speeds comparable to fiber-optic cables—without using any physical wires.
The breakthrough pushes wireless signals into extremely high frequencies, opening the door to future 6G and “FutureG” networks that could be dramatically faster and more efficient than today’s 5G systems.
The new technology operates at frequencies up to 140 gigahertz, far beyond what current wireless devices use.
At these frequencies, huge amounts of data can move through the air almost instantly.
In laboratory tests, the system achieved data rates of up to 120 gigabits per second, fast enough to transmit several high-definition movies in the blink of an eye.
The transceiver was developed by researchers at UC Irvine’s Samueli School of Engineering and is described in two recent papers published in the IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.
One paper focuses on the transmitter, which converts digital data directly into radio waves, while the other explains the receiver, which turns those radio waves back into digital information.
Project leader Payam Heydari describes the invention as a “wireless fiber patch cord.” The idea is simple but powerful: deliver the blazing speed of fiber-optic connections without the cables themselves.
This could transform how data centers, robots, machines, and future wireless devices communicate.
Traditional wireless chips rely heavily on digital components that convert signals back and forth between digital and analog forms. As speeds increase, those converters consume enormous amounts of power and generate excessive heat. According to Heydari, this approach eventually hits a wall, making ultra-fast wireless communication impractical for real-world devices.
To overcome this problem, the UC Irvine team rethought the chip’s design from the ground up. Instead of forcing everything through power-hungry digital circuits, they shifted much of the signal processing into the analog domain. This allowed the system to handle extreme speeds while using far less energy.
The transmitter avoids a major bottleneck by eliminating the digital-to-analog converter altogether. Instead, it builds the radio signal directly at high frequency using synchronized sub-transmitters. This streamlined approach boosts efficiency and keeps the chip from overheating.
On the receiving side, the researchers tackled another long-standing challenge. High-speed wireless signals are normally digitized using large, energy-draining components that are unsuitable for mobile devices. The team introduced a technique called hierarchical analog demodulation, which carefully breaks down the signal in stages before converting it to digital form. This dramatically reduces power consumption while preserving speed and accuracy.
The receiver chip consumes just 230 milliwatts of power, low enough for use in portable electronics. Importantly, the entire system was built using standard semiconductor manufacturing processes, meaning it could be produced at scale without exotic materials or costly fabrication methods.
Beyond smartphones and future wireless networks, the technology could have a major impact on data centers. By replacing short fiber or copper links between server racks with ultra-fast wireless connections, operators could reduce wiring complexity, lower cooling costs, and improve flexibility.
As wireless demand continues to surge, this invention suggests a future where data moves at fiber-optic speeds—straight through the air.
Source: UC Irvine.
