When average people look at pasta twists known as fusilli, they likely imagine what kind of sauce to put on it. But scientists in Italy and Sweden have looked at them and see a vehicle for more efficient radio signal transmission and a possible solution to spectrum overcrowding.
The idea is to use a spiral rather than a linear signal, a method which may allow capacity without an increase in bandwidth. The results, according to an AFP report, were published in the latest edition of the Institute of Physics and German Physical Society’s New Journal of Physics.
The “phase twist” which would replace a linear signal compares to the shape of fusilli pasta, according to the study’s lead author, Fabrizio Tamburini. “Each of these twisted beams can be independently generated, propagated and detected even in the very same frequency band, behaving as independent communication channels,” he said.
The authors of the study see it as a possible answer for solving the spectrum crunch that is currently a major concern, particularly in the US.
The technique is said to have the potential of boosting radio power by a factor of nine times what it is now. The scientists also believe that market-ready technology to put the idea to use could be developed in as little as two to five years.
RBR-TVBR observation: Will science step in and solve the spectrum crunch before the rusty gears of federal Washington is able? That’s what some have already predicted. Stay tuned!
