https://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-026-01843-0
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-026-01863-w
https://j.people.com.cn/n3/2026/0316/c95952-20436464.html
A research team at Peking University has made significant progress in the field of optical chips, successfully developing the world’s first wireless communication technology compatible with all generations from 2G to 6G+.
With each advancement in communication generations, from the 2G era to the current 5G, and into the near future 6G, new hardware needs to be added to communication base stations and terminals. Base stations have become larger, heavier, and more power-hungry with each generation of equipment
The researchers now proposed an innovative method to integrate photon chips and electromagnetic metasurfaces to build a scalable, unified hardware platform. This not only significantly reduces the size of base stations but also lowers power consumption to one-tenth of conventional levels.
The research team succeeded in precisely controlling 6G high-frequency signals in “all dimensions” by using advanced micro-optical technology that fundamentally overturns conventional microwave control methods to control array antennas. In the experimental stage, this system not only improved 6G transmission efficiency by 30 times compared to conventional methods, but also enabled communication devices to accurately sense position, speed, and rotation angle while transmitting data, achieving integration of communication and sensing.
These two highly related technologies are expected to complement each other, laying a foundation for the development of wireless communication systems across all generations.