Photonic Edge Photonic Edge Inc. 日本語
SolutionsBeyond 5G / 6G
SOLUTION / BEYOND 5G & 6G

Beyond 5G / 6G

Beyond 5G / 6G pushes carrier frequencies from millimeter-wave into the sub-terahertz bands (above 100 GHz). In these bands, measuring comes before making — and it is a major barrier: conventional VNA-plus-extender setups are expensive and the measurement environment tends to be bulky. Building on photonic technology, we provide antenna measurement, material characterization, and electric-field visualization up to the 300 GHz band, in a compact form at a realistic cost. These are proven measurement technologies, built on projects selected and delivered under Japan's national R&D programs (NICT and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications).

01

Sub-Terahertz Antenna Near-Field Measurement

Near-field measurement with EO probes, up to 330 GHz

Proven at 300 GHz

Near-field measurement technology developed in the NICT Beyond 5G program "Practical antenna evaluation technology for the 300 GHz band". A compact measurement setup captures information unavailable from far-field measurement, such as aperture amplitude and phase distributions. It has been used for evaluating a company's 300 GHz-band antenna presented at an international conference.

02

Millimeter-Wave to Sub-THz FDS (Material Characterization)

Dielectric material measurement by frequency-domain spectroscopy

Measurement demonstrated at 300 GHz

A frequency-domain spectroscopy (FDS) system for material characterization, scalable from a few GHz up to about 1 THz. We have measured S21/S11 of dielectric materials in the 300 GHz band with good agreement against VNA results. Being photonics-based, it is more compact and lower-cost than VNA-plus-extender setups, and unlike THz-TDS it also covers frequencies below 100 GHz.

03

Electric-Field Visualization

Measured field imaging with EO sensor probes

1 GHz – 330 GHz

Visualize the measured amplitude and phase distribution of electric fields around antennas and metasurfaces. For the new devices under study in Beyond 5G / 6G — metasurface reflectors, high-gain antennas — it shows how the field actually propagates, making it an ideal design-feedback tool.

04

Organic Nonlinear Crystal Growth & Processing

DAST and OH1 — key materials for terahertz waves

Growth, cutting & polishing services

We grow organic nonlinear optical crystals (DAST, OH1) used for terahertz-wave generation and detection, and offer cutting and polishing services. These hygroscopic, easily cleaved materials are processed using techniques established through our own EO-probe development, including dicing into 1 mm-square chips.

R&D

Track Record in National R&D Programs

Measurement technology for the Beyond 5G / 6G domain is one of our core themes, developed and proven through Japan's competitive national R&D programs.

NICT / FY2021–2023, COMMISSIONED RESEARCH Beyond 5G R&D Promotion Program: "Practical antenna evaluation technology for the 300 GHz band"

Commissioned research (seed-creation program) in which we developed and put into practice sub-terahertz antenna evaluation based on EO-probe near-field measurement, jointly with a partner company.

  • Realized compact near-field measurement of 300 GHz-band antennas
  • Results already deployed: our measurement was used for a company's 300 GHz-band antenna presented at EuCAP 2025, and in presentations by universities and telecom operators at domestic workshops
MIC / FY2024–2026, FORWARD PROGRAM Development and Deployment of a Photonics-Based Millimeter-Wave / Terahertz Material Measurement System

R&D of an FDS-based material measurement system. In February 2026, we successfully measured dielectric materials in the 300 GHz band (J-band: 220–330 GHz), confirming good agreement with VNA measurements.

  • Fast frequency sweeping via optical wavelength sweep (about 5 seconds across the J-band)
  • Extension to the 450 GHz band planned in FY2026; productization and deployment from 2027
Press release, February 2026 (Japanese) →

Talk to us about anything high-frequency.

Contract R&D, custom measurement instruments, software development, joint research — we work in whatever form suits your project.

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