Wireless communication in the terahertz range:
Some challenges and opportunities

With the ongoing roll-out of 5G wireless systems, research is already ramping up on the next generation (6G), which is likely to incorporate frequency bands in the terahertz range (i.e., above 100 GHz). Compared to the more familiar wireless links at lower frequencies, transmissions at these high frequencies will exhibit higher directionality, as well as distinct and strongly frequencydependent channel characteristics. These differences can create both new challenges and new opportunities for ensuring the quality, data throughput, and security of such links. These unique characteristics require new ideas for the implementation of physical-layer components and devices. We discuss a few examples, to illustrate the possibilities and outline some of the implications for system designers who seek to provide high-quality links at high data rates, while thwarting eavesdroppers and other malicious agents.