Multipath propagation channel modeling and capacity analysis for terahertz indoor communications

The eventual practical deployment of a terahertz indoor communication system for ultra-high-speed wireless links requires a unified and proper channel model. By considering the peculiarity of terahertz radiation, we develop a deterministic multipath propagation channel model based on Kirchhoff scattering theory and ray tracing techniques, which incorporates the propagation models for the line-of-sight, reflected, and scattered paths. This work also provides a novel evaluation methodology to quantify the proposed channel model for system performance investigation. Numerical simulations are carried out with experimental measurements. The results demonstrate the validity of the proposed model and reveal the importance of the non-line-of-sight propagation paths, especially the scattered rays. Spatial characteristics of the terahertz propagation have also been fully investigated for the diversity antenna steering and beamforming schemes. Finally, channel capacity and delay spread effects are evaluated and analyzed in detail, and huge potential on ultra-high-speed wireless communications over 20 Gbps has been demonstrated in the terahertz band for indoor scenarios. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America