A wireless system that sends data through tiny lasers instead of radio waves reached a combined speed of 362.7 gigabits per second in laboratory tests, researchers reported in March 2026. The chip-based optical system, described in the journal Advanced Photonics Nexus, also drew roughly half the energy per bit of leading Wi-Fi technologies under comparable conditions.
The transmitter hit that mark by running 21 miniature lasers at the same time across a two-meter free-space link. Each laser carried its own data stream, delivering individual rates between 13 and 19 gigabits per second. According to the findings published bySPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, the combined output stands among the highest speeds reported for a chip-scale optical wireless transmitter paired with a free-space receiver.
Wi-Fi and cellular networks rely on radio spectrum that grows more crowded as devices multiply. Signal interference in dense indoor spaces and rising energy consumption compound the strain. Optical wireless communication swaps radio waves for light, sidestepping that interference and opening up far more available bandwidth.
A Chip Smaller Than a Millimeter Drives the System
The core of the system is a custom 5 by 5 array of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, called VCSELs. These infrared semiconductor lasers already appear in data centers and sensing equipment because they run efficiently at high speeds and can be produced in large arrays using standard fabrication methods.
Scientists affiliated with the University of Cambridge built the array with established processes and mounted the finished chip onto a custom circuit board. As detailed in the study published in Advanced Photonics Nexus, the full laser array fits on a chip smaller than a millimeter. Each laser operates independently, so the system can push several data streams in parallel from the same chip.
Initial tests showed stable output power and consistent high-speed modulation across the array. Of the 25 lasers on the chip, 21 were operational during the speed trials.
Shaping Light to Eliminate Interference
Firing many light beams at once creates a practical problem. Overlapping beams let signals bleed into each other, making it hard for receivers to separate individual data streams. The research team solved that by building a compact optical system that shapes and steers the light from the laser array.
A custom microlens array first straightens the light from each laser. Additional lenses then arrange the beams into a structured grid of square spots at the receiver plane, so each beam lights up a defined area with little overlap. Measurements showed more than 90 percent uniformity across the illuminated region at a distance of two meters.
That structured light pattern also supports multiple users. In a test with four beams transmitting at once, each link stayed stable and the system delivered a combined data rate of about 22 gigabits per second, as reported by ScienceDaily. The results confirm that several optical wireless links can run in the same room without meaningful interference.
Energy Efficiency Measured Against Conventional Wi-Fi
The system consumed about 1.4 nanojoules per bit. That figure is roughly half the energy per bit reported for state-of-the-art Wi-Fi technologies in similar conditions.
Radio-based systems need more power to push higher data rates. The optical system draws less because its laser sources run efficiently by design and can be driven directly at high speed without complex power management. During the tests, each laser used a modulation method that splits data into many closely spaced frequency channels, squeezing more out of the available bandwidth while adapting to shifts in signal quality.
A Technology Designed to Work Alongside Existing Networks
The researchers made clear that optical wireless communication is meant to sit beside Wi-Fi and mobile networks, not push them out. Optical links can take on heavy traffic in indoor spaces where capacity runs thin, easing the load on congested radio networks.
The study’s authors pointed out that the speeds they recorded were held back by the bandwidth of the commercial photodetector used during testing. A faster receiver paired with the same transmitter could push the data rate higher. The laser chip was produced with standard semiconductor manufacturing methods and mounted onto a custom circuit board for the lab demonstration.
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