Researchers develop first 5G switch capable of accessing next-generation wireless speeds

Even as COVID-19 has caused a slowdown in economic growth, the 5G revolution is well underway, with the first pioneering devices capable of accessing the next generation of wireless speeds already hitting store shelves around the world.

[[328733]]

Diagram of a switch at the University of Texas at Austin, showing two gold electrodes and a layer of hBN. University of Texas image

Currently, accessing 5G speeds is not a simple task, and device manufacturers need to optimize their designs and components so that they can not only achieve high speeds, but do so efficiently in a way that does not significantly waste battery life.

Now, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Lille in France have built a new component — a 5G switch — that can reportedly access high-speed 5G frequencies more efficiently, thereby extending battery life and accelerating 5G applications such as high-definition streaming.

The joint team's research results were published in the journal Nature Electronics on May 25, describing their development of an analog switch made from a single-molecule film of boron nitride.

50 times energy saving

Smartphones frequently switch between different networks and spectrums, such as Wi-Fi, 4G, LTE, Bluetooth, etc. This switching is currently handled by radio frequency (RF) switches, which run continuously and consume processing power and battery life.

"The switch we developed is more than 50 times more energy efficient than those used today," said Deji Akinwande, a professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who led the research. "It can transmit high-definition television streams at 100 gigahertz, which is unheard of in broadband switching technology."

The Texas Instruments switches remain closed unless the device needs them to switch between networks, saving battery life for other processes and needs. They are also said to be able to transfer data above the baseline of 5G-class speeds.

It uses hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a nanomaterial that belongs to the same family as graphene and contains a monolayer of boron and nitrogen atoms in a honeycomb pattern sandwiched between a pair of gold electrodes.

Important research areas

The research to develop the new 5G switch, funded by the Army Research Office, part of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory, is the latest in a series of previous efforts that have found success at the lower end of the 5G spectrum, where speeds are lower but data can travel longer distances.

This is the first switch capable of operating across the spectrum from the low-end gigahertz to the high-end megahertz frequencies, and could have huge implications for applications beyond smartphones, such as satellite systems, smart radios, the Internet of Things, and reconfigurable communications.

Pani, division director of the Materials Science Program at the Army Research Office, part of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory.

Dr Varanasi said: “RF switches are ubiquitous in military communications, connectivity and radar systems, and these new switches could offer significant performance advantages over existing components and extend battery life in mobile communications and advanced reconfigurable systems.”