145-year-old Hall effect’s twin uncovered to fuel quantum comms, 6G and beyond
The rise of the new Hall effect will help us realize the fastest communication technologies we have ever imagined.
IIn 1879, American physicist Edwin Hall proposed the famous Hall effect, explaining how a voltage is generated across a conductor when an electric current passes through it in the presence of a magnetic field.
Even after 145 years, the Hall effect remains relevant, playing a crucial role in various modern-day applications such as drones, proximity sensors, EV chargers, DC motors, hard drives, etc.
However, a new study from Pennsylvania State University (PSU) researchers proposes a new version of the Hall effect that doesn’t require a magnetic field to work. “In this work, we report the first observation of a room-temperature colossal nonreciprocal Hall effect,” Zhiqiang Mao, one of the study authors and a professor at PSU, said.
This effect can contribute to the development of next-generation terahertz communication-driven applications such as wireless data centers, high-speed 6G networks, advanced medical imaging technologies, and more reliable satellite technology. Plus, it also has the potential to give rise to efficient quantum systems and quantum communication applications.
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China Mobile launches the world's first 6G test satellite
China Mobile, the world's largest telecom carrier by mobile subscribers, has successfully launched the world's first satellite to test 6G architecture on Feb 3. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The low-earth orbit test satellite is the world's first to employ 6G design architecture, and it was launched on Saturday along with another satellite that comes with China Mobile's 5G technology.
#6g #china #telecommunications #satellite
The 6G test satellite hosts a distributed autonomous architecture for 6G, which was jointly developed by China Mobile and the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Innovation Academy for Microsatellites. The system, utilizing domestic software and hardware, supports in-orbit software reconstruction, flexible deployment of core network functions and automated management, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the in-orbit operation of the satellite core network, China Mobile said.
Set at an orbit height of approximately 500 kilometers, these experimental satellites offer advantages such as low latency and high data transfer rates compared with high-orbit satellites which travel at 36,000 kilometers.
Positioned as a crucial platform for future integrated space and ground networks, low-earth orbit satellites can address telecom signal coverage gaps in terrestrial mobile networks, providing higher bandwidth satellite internet services globally, according to China Mobile.
China Mobile said it plans to conduct in-orbit experiments based on these test satellites, accelerating the integration and development of space-to-ground technology industries.
Do We Really Need 6G?
5G intends to make the internet more accessible for lots of people and improve everything from entertainment to healthcare. Whether those areas will have room for improvement beyond 5G—and thus require the use of something better, like 6G—is a resounding yes.
However, as fun as it might be to imagine a time when 5G is considered slow and 6G powers the world, if 5G pans out correctly or slowly evolves under that same term, we might never need to come up with a new next-gen network.
The 6G concept could be avoided as long as manufacturers, regulators, and telecom companies keep improving 5G. If all of 5G's pitfalls could be addressed on a frequent basis, new products could continuously flow into the market to take advantage of the ever-changing and constantly evolving new technology.
What is the Hall Effect?
The Hall Effect is a phenomenon in which a current-carrying conductor, when placed in a magnetic field, generates a voltage across its length, perpendicular to both the current direction and the magnetic field direction. This voltage is known as the Hall voltage.
The Hall Effect is caused by the interaction between the magnetic field and the moving charge carriers (electrons) in the conductor. The magnetic field deflects the charge carriers, creating a voltage difference across the conductor.
How does the Hall Effect work?
To understand the Hall Effect, let's consider a simple example:
Imagine a conductor, such as a copper wire, carrying a current. When this conductor is placed in a magnetic field, the moving charge carriers (electrons) are deflected by the magnetic field. This deflection creates a voltage difference across the conductor, perpendicular to both the current direction and the magnetic field direction.
The Hall Effect can be described by the following equation:
V_H = I * B * d / n
Where:
Applications of the Hall Effect in telecommunication technology
The Hall Effect has a wide range of applications in telecommunication technology, including:
Hall Effect sensors and switches
Hall Effect sensors and switches are designed to take advantage of the Hall Effect to detect and switch magnetic fields. These devices are commonly used in a wide range of applications, including:
Advantages of Hall Effect sensors and switches
Hall Effect sensors and switches offer several advantages over traditional devices, including:
Challenges and limitations of Hall Effect sensors and switches
While Hall Effect sensors and switches offer several advantages, there are also some challenges and limitations to consider, including:
In summary, the Hall Effect is a fundamental principle that has a significant impact on telecommunication technology, enabling accurate current sensing, high-speed switching, and precise position sensing, which can lead to improved performance, reliability, and efficiency in a wide range of applications.