ROME, N.Y. – U.S. Air Force researchers are asking industry to develop an ultra-broadband radio that operates at frequencies above 100 GHz for future communications in areas where enemy electronic warfare (EW) and RF spoofing are serious threats.
Officials of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Information Directorate in Rome, N.Y., issued a broad-agency announcement (FA875023S7009) in September for the Ultra-Broadband Terahertz Radio Development project.
Radio frequencies above 100 GHz, commonly known as sub-terahertz or terahertz band, remain under-used for communications, despite their potential to enable wideband secure communications applications.
The high atmospheric absorption at these frequencies can limit transmission range but also can lend itself to secure channelization in contested environments. Higher frequencies also mean narrower beamwidths which adds to the link security but makes antenna pointing, acquisition and tracking difficult.
Materials and device technologies
Recent advances in materials and device technologies have helped develop power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, frequency multipliers, and antenna arrays that operate at 140, 200, 240, 300 GHz and above. The next challenge is to develop a compact communications system able to operate in sub-terahertz and terahertz bands.
The Air Force wants to develop an ultra-broadband radio that adjusts carrier frequency dynamically, and offers output power and data rate within 100 to 300 GHz. Such a system should offer a fast flexible baseband that can support spreading bandwidth to 10 GHz and data rates of 1 megabit per second to 1 gigabit per second -- all while adapting to atmospheric conditions, link requirements, and the presence of interference.
The proposed system also should be able to form and shape terahertz beams to control the signal's presence in time and space. This radio should offer instantaneous RF bandwidth at a 5-to-10-GHz threshold; have beamwidth 3 to 5 degrees; have pointing accuracy of 5 go 10 percent.
This project is a follow-on to the Air Force's 2020 Terahertz Communications program, in which Northrop Grumman Corp.; Calspan Flight Research; and Keysight Technologies Inc. were involved.
Tell me more about terahertz radio ...
- Terahertz (THz) radio refers to electromagnetic waves in the frequency range of 0.1 to 10 THz, which lies between infrared and microwave radiation on the electromagnetic spectrum. This range is often called the "terahertz gap" because it’s been challenging to generate and detect signals in this region. THz radio has promising applications in wireless communications, high-speed data transfer, and imaging technologies, as it can transmit large amounts of data at speeds far exceeding current microwave systems. Additionally, THz waves can penetrate materials like clothing and paper, making them useful for security scanning and medical imaging. However, technical limitations like high atmospheric absorption and the need for specialized equipment still pose hurdles. Researchers are actively working to improve THz sources and detectors, making it a growing area of interest for next-generation wireless technologies.
Northrop Grumman developed circuits and components that operate at terahertz frequencies; Calspan tested communications links above 300 GHz; and Keysight performed sub-terahertz network modeling, measurement, and simulation for next-generation wireless systems.
Companies interested should email white papers no later than 17 Sept. 2027 to the Air Force's Peter Ricci, the Ultra-Broadband Terahertz Radio Development program manager, at [email protected], with copies to Claire Parisi at [email protected]. Companies submitting promising white papers may be invited to submit full proposals.
Email technical questions or concerns to Peter Ricci, the Ultra-Broadband Terahertz Radio Development program manager, at [email protected], with copies to Claire Parisi at [email protected].
Email business questions to Amber Buckley at [email protected]. More information is online at https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/0ac3394d0b5a4de89a3647fcf92db1d0/view.
