Terahertz integrated sensing and mobile communications empowered by a 220-GHz-band portable device

2025-11-28
Nature Communications
Guangjian Wang, Mingxiang Li, Qiao Liu, Junwei Zang, Oupeng Li, Xianfeng Du, Liangyuan Xu, Meixia Tao, Chong Han

Abstract

The terahertz frequency band offers significant spectrum resources for next-generation wireless communications and ultra-high-resolution imaging for non-destructive sensing applications. Terahertz sensing and communications are inherently integrated for practical applications, while existing technologies typically focus on either point-to-point high-speed communications or high-resolution imaging. Here we demonstrate a portable 220-GHz-band device with a compact size of 20 × 20 × 10 cm3 that simultaneously realizes terahertz integrated sensing and mobile communications. The prototype is developed using high-temperature co-fired ceramic technology, featuring a phased-array frontend. Mobile communications is experimentally validated, achieving 64 Gbps data rate over 38 m with a  ± 30° scanning range. With 100% shared hardware and orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing waveform, the device supports millimeter-level sensing accuracy. Incorporating a compressed-sensing algorithm further allows free-trajectory scanning, eliminating the need for time-consuming raster scanning. This work establishes a foundation for terahertz integrated sensing and communications, and provides crucial support for future applications such as autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, 6G networks and beyond.