Table of Content

1 Executive Summary and 17 forecasts 2023-2043
1.1 Our 6G report series
1.2 Purpose of this report
1.3 Giant companies with giant opportunities
1.4 The subject of this report
1.5 Methodology of this analysis
1.6 Key conclusions: 6G optical systems 0.3THz to ultraviolet
1.7 Key conclusions: 6G materials and components for 0.3THz to ultraviolet
1.8 Wireless communications and expected two phases of 6G launch
1.9 Objectives for 6G of NTT, Huawei, Samsung, Nokia, the Chinese and others
1.10 Typical parameters for 5G and 6G wireless showing some challenges increasing
1.11 How 6G transmission hardware will achieve much better performance than 5G
1.12 Spectrum for 6G phase one and two
1.13 16 primary selling features of 6G against what four frequency bands can provide
1.14 Infogram: 6G massive hardware deployment, compromises, importance of optics
1.15 Aerospace vehicles compared for 6G – positives and negatives compared for 7 types
1.16 6G transmission options underwater and underground – gap in the market
1.17 Infogram: Probable 6G optical hardware suppliers including 0.3-1THz: examples
1.18 Infogram: 6G transmission systems that will use infrared, visible and ultraviolet frequencies
1.19 How material needs change with 6G communications
1.20 Transmission distance dilemma
1.21 Infogram: Terahertz gap of limited dielectric and active device choices
1.22 Conquering the terahertz gap of inadequate dielectrics, emitters and detectors
1.23 Three kinds of 6G THz communication systems
1.24 THz integrated circuit choices
1.25 Conquering the problematic free space optical FSO attenuation in air
1.26 32 examples of suppliers of appropriate FSO hardware and systems by country
1.27 Reconfigurable intelligent surface RIS SWOT appraisal for 6G versions
1.28 SWOT appraisal of terahertz waveguides in 6G system design
1.29 SWOT appraisal of fiber optics FiWi in 6G system design
1.30 SWOT assessment for metamaterials and metasurfaces
1.31 SWOT appraisal of 6G THz low loss material opportunities
1.32 Four 6G roadmaps 2023-2043
1.32.1 Far infrared 0.3-1THz 6G by media range meters and Gbps roadmap
1.32.2 6G reconfigurable intelligent surface RIS roadmap 2023-2043
1.32.3 6G general roadmap 2022-2031
1.32.4 6G general roadmap 2032-2043
1.33 6G materials, devices and background - 17 forecasts 2023-2043
1.33.1 Assumptions
1.33.2 6G hardware as part of a notional telecommunications market
1.33.3 6G reconfigurable intelligent surfaces cumulative panels number deployed bn year end 2023-2043
1.33.4 6G reconfigurable intelligent surfaces market yearly area added bn. sq. m. 2023-2043
1.33.5 6G reconfigurable intelligent surfaces global $ billion by 5 types 2023-2043 table
1.33.6 6G reconfigurable intelligent surfaces global $ billion by 5 types 2023-2043 graph
1.33.7 Market for 5G and 6G base stations millions yearly 2023-2043
1.33.8 Fiber optic cable market global with possible 6G impact $billion 2023-2043
1.33.9 Indium phosphide semiconductor market global with possible 6G impact $billion 2023-2043
1.33.10 Global metamaterial and metasurface market billion square meters 2023-2043
1.33.11 Terahertz hardware market excluding 6G $ billion globally 2023-2043
1.33.12 Mobile communications service market global $ billion by category 2023-2042
1.34 Location of primary 6G material and component activity worldwide 2023-2043

2. Introduction
2.1 6G objectives and our coverage
2.2 Why optical wireless communication is essential for promised 6G performance
2.3 Infogram: 6G aspirations across the landscape
2.4 6G rural challenge
2.5 6G underwater and underground – gap in the market
2.6 Terminology thicket
2.7 Why 6G needs massive infrastructure and many transmission media
2.8 Essential 6G tools: RIS, OWC, cable intermediary (fiber optic and THz)
2.8.1 Optical wireless communication OWC
2.8.2 Reconfigurable intelligent surface RIS construction and potential capability
2.9 Green power dilemma with active RIS and other 6G infrastructure
2.10 Materials for photovoltaics at 6G infrastructure and client devices with doubled power
2.11 Manufacturing technologies for 6G components and product integration

3. 6G Optical wireless communication OWC
3.1 Optical wireless communication OWC
3.1.1 Actual and emerging applications
3.1.2 Lessons from 5G FSO
3.2 Definitions and scope of OWC and its subsets
3.3 Infogram: Potential 6G transmission systems using OWC
3.4 Infrared IR, visible light VL and ultraviolet UV for 6G in air: issues and parameters
3.5 FSO system basics
3.6 Subsuming or defaulting to LiFi
3.7 Aerospace OWC envisaged for 6G
3.7.1 Overview
3.7.2 Aerospace vehicles for 6G – backers, altitudes, transmission options compared for 7 types
3.7.3 Aerospace vehicles for 6G – positives and negatives for 7 types
3.7.4 Choice of 6G aerial platforms
3.7.5 Drones benefit 6G which in turn benefits drones and urban air mobility
3.7.6 Vertical FSO from HAPS drones
3.7.7 Thales-Alenia Stratobus airship
3.7.8 AVIC China Caihong (Rainbow) CH-T4
3.7.9 Airbus Zephyr
3.7.10 Feasibility of solar drones at only a few kms altitude: Mei Ying
3.7.11 Small drones and networked flying platforms for 6G including swarming
3.8 FSO attenuation in air: physics, issues and solutions
3.8.1 Overview
3.8.2 Atmospheric loss
3.8.3 Geometric loss
3.8.4 Background radiation
3.8.5 6G FSO frequency choices and alternatives underwater
3.8.6 Choosing frequencies for 6G FSO under water
3.9 OWC emitter and detector components and their materials
3.9.1 Overview
3.9.2 Emitter devices emerging for optical 6G: DFB, FP, VCSEL, OLED, LED
3.9.3 Receiver devices for optical 6G – photodetectors
3.10 32 examples of suppliers of FSO hardware and systems with country analysis
3.11 Further reading

4. Metamaterials and metasurfaces for THz, IR, visible 6G
4.1 Nine potential uses for metamaterials in 6G
4.2 Applications of GHz, THz, infrared and optical metamaterials
4.3 The meta atom and patterning options
4.4 Optical metamaterial patterns and options
4.5 Commercial, operational, theoretical, structural options compared
4.6 Six formats of metamaterial needed for 6G with examples
4.7 Metasurfaces
4.8 Hypersurfaces
4.9 Active material patterning
4.10 Optical ENX metamaterials
4.11 Metasurface optical energy harvesting potentially for 6G
4.12 Metamaterials manipulating infrared potentially for 6G cooling
4.13 Metamaterial companies that could serve 6G at upper THz, IR, optical frequencies
4.13.1 Echodyne
4.13.2 Evolv Technology
4.13.3 Fractal Antenna Systems
4.13.4 iQLP
4.13.5 Kymeta
4.13.6 Meta
4.13.7 Metacept Systems
4.13.8 Metawave
4.13.9 Nano Meta Technologies
4.13.10 Pivotal Commware
4.13.11 Plasmonics
4.13.12 Radi-Cool
4.13.13 Sensormetrics
4.13.14 teraview
4.14 The long term picture of metamaterials overall
4.15 SOFT assessment of metamaterials and metasurfaces

5. 6G reconfigurable intelligent surfaces at 0.3-10THz far infrared
5.1 Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces basics
5.2 How metasurface RIS hardware operates
5.3 Semi-passive and active RIS materials and components
5.3.1 Overview
5.3.2 RIS trend to structural electronics: smart materials and thin film technology
5.4 Cost hierarchy challenge for 6G reconfigurable intelligent surfaces 0.1-1THz
5.5 RIS improvements planned to 2045
5.6 Realisation that hardware lags theory in 2022
5.7 Major RIS standards initiative ETSI
5.8 RIS for 6G base stations
5.9 RIS- Integrated User-Centric Network: Architecture and Optimization
5.10 RG RIS control issues
5.11 Appraisal of 9 tuning device families for RIS from recent research pipeline
5.12 Advances from 2022 onwards
5.13 Progressing to 1THz RIS for 6G including graphene, vanadium dioxide, GST, GaAs
5.13.1 Overview
5.13.2 lll-V and SiGe for RIS
5.13.3 Vanadium dioxide for RIS
5.13.4 Chalcogenides for RIS
5.13.5 Far infrared RIS materials above 1THz

6. 6G reconfigurable intelligent surfaces at near infrared and visible light
6.1 Overview
6.2 Near IR and visible light RIS
6.3 Near infrared RIS with amplification capabilities
6.4 RIS enabled LiFi
6.5 Optical devices enhancing or replacing RIS
6.6 Optical RIS generally from 2022
6.7 SWOT appraisal that must guide future RIS design

7. Dielectrics, passive optical materials and semiconductors for 6G 0.3THz to visible
7.1 Dielectrics
7.1.1 Overview
7.1.2 Dielectric optimisation for 6G
7.1.3 Thermoset vs thermoplastic vs inorganic compounds
7.1.4 Choice of 14 families of low permittivity, low loss dielectrics for 6G against five criteria
7.1.5 The quest for better 6G low loss materials – permittivity optimisation
7.1.6 Permittivity 0.1-1THz for 19 low loss compounds simplified
7.1.7 Dissipation factor optimisation across THz frequency for 19 material families
7.1.8 Low loss materials for reprogrammable intelligent surfaces RIS
7.1.9 Special case: high resistivity silicon for 6G at 1THz
7.1.10 Different dielectrics from 5G to 6G: better parameters, lower costs, larger areas
7.2 Semiconductor material choices for 6G
7.2.1 Overview and lessons from 5G advances
7.2.2 Status of 11 semiconductor and active layer candidates
7.2.3 lll-V compounds as general 6G materials
7.2.4 Photoactive materials for 6G around 1THz
7.2.5 Silicon carbide electro-optic modulator
7.2.6 Phase change and electric-sensitive dielectrics for up to 1THz 6G
7.2.7 Vanadium dioxide for many 6G uses
7.2.8 Chalcogenide phase change materials
7.2.9 Liquid crystal polymers LCP nematic liquid crystals NLC for 6G THz and optics
7.3 Thermoelectric temperature control materials for 6G chips and lasers
7.4 Other advances in 2022
7.5 Research trends

8. THz cable waveguides for 6G transmission and client device waveguides
8.1 Terahertz waveguide cables: need and state of play
8.2 Design and materials of 6G waveguide cables
8.3 Fluoropolymers
8.3.1 PTFE
8.3.2 Perfluorinated poly(butenyl vinyl ether) PBVE
8.4 Polypropylene
8.5 Polyethylene polypropylene metamaterial THz waveguides
8.6 Manufacturing polymer THz cable in long reels
8.7 THz waveguide gratings etched on metal-wires
8.8 THz waveguides from InAs, GaP, sapphire etc. for boosting emitters, sensing etc.
8.9 SWOT appraisal of THz cables and waveguides in 6G system design

9. Fiber optics for 6G systems
9.1 Overview
9.2 Fiber optic cable design and materials
9.2.1 Format, silica, sapphire and more
9.2.2 Polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polyimide, FRP
9.2.3 Functional types
9.3 Fiber optics in action
9.4 Limiting use of the fiber and electronics to save cost
9.5 Serious attacks occurring
9.6 Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers EDFA
9.7 Photonics defined radio and photonic integration for THz 6G
9.8 SWOT appraisal of fiber optics in 6G system design

10. Graphene and other 2D materials in 6G
10.1 Overview and six relevant uses for 6G
10.2 Graphene THz sensing compared with alternatives
10.3 Graphene plasmonics for 6G THz metasurfaces, modulators, splitters, routers
10.4 Graphene gated THz transistors for 6G optical rectification, optical absorbers
10.5 Other 2D materials to 10THz for wireless communications: MoS, BN, perovskite