Chinese researchers have made a major breakthrough in optical communications and 6G wireless technologies, taking the global lead in realizing cross-network convergence between fiber-optic and wireless communication systems. The independently developed fiber-wireless integrated converged communication system has set new records for data transmission rates.
The results were published on Wednesday in Nature.
The rapid growth of AI data centers and the evolution toward next-generation 6G wireless networks demand ultra-high-speed and low-latency signal transmission across diverse application scenarios. However, fundamental differences in signal architectures and hardware constraints between fiber-optic and wireless communications have long created a “bandwidth gap,” limiting seamless integration between the two domains.
To address this challenge, a joint research team led by Peking University, in collaboration with Pengcheng Laboratory, ShanghaiTech University and the National Optoelectronics Innovation Center, proposed the concept of fiber-wireless integrated converged communication. Using an integrated photonics approach, the team successfully developed ultra-wideband integrated photonic devices with operational bandwidths exceeding 250 GHz.
Based on these devices, the newly developed system achieved single-channel data transmission rates of 512 Gbps for fiber-optic communication and 400 Gbps for wireless communication – both representing record-breaking performance.
“The new system bridges the long-standing bandwidth gap and refreshes the highest known data transmission records,” said Wang Xingjun, corresponding author of the research and vice dean of the School of Electronics at Peking University. He noted that the system supports dual-mode transmission for both fiber and wireless communications, significantly enhancing resistance to interference.
The research team also simulated large-scale user access scenarios envisioned for 6G networks, demonstrating real-time multichannel 8K video transmission across 86 channels. The achieved transmission bandwidth is more than ten times higher than that supported by current 5G standards.
According to Wang, the new system shows strong application potential in scenarios such as 6G base stations and wireless data centers and is expected to lay a solid research foundation for next-generation ultra-broadband, high-speed fiber-wireless integrated communication networks.
