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Multiband wireless systems based on microwave integrated photonics with metasurfaces

Nature Photonics volume 20, pages 348–356 (2026) Cite this article

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Abstract

Modern wireless technologies—spanning mobile communications to satellite links—rely on systems operating across disparate microwave bands. Although escalating data demands have driven the evolution from 2G to 6G, each generation has traditionally required dedicated, frequency-specific hardware, complicating multiband integration. This challenge intensifies at higher frequencies (5G and beyond), where conventional approaches incur prohibitive costs and power consumption in wireless terminals. Here we present a scalable and unified platform that supports all-generation (2G to 6G+) parallel wireless systems by combining photonic circuits with electronic metasurfaces. Using a self-synchronized dual-comb technique, we simultaneously generate over 60 reconfigurable microwave frequencies up to 100 GHz, with beamforming enabled by compact, low-power metasurfaces. This architecture facilitates all-generation wireless links with advanced modulation formats. Crucially, we demonstrate the direct drive of the wireless edge by data-centre silicon photonic transceivers, seamlessly merging data centre and wireless networks. Our solution unifies signal generation, processing and beamforming in a compact, cost-effective platform, offering a transformative foundation for future wireless systems.

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Fig. 1: Conceptual illustration of wireless parallelization based on scalable optoelectronics.
The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.
Fig. 2: Self-synchronized dual-comb technology and massive microwave generation.
The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.
Fig. 3: Integrated photonics and metasurface solution for all-generation wireless parallelization.
The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.
Fig. 4: Parallel communication experiment across four distinct frequency bands using high-order modulation formats.
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Fig. 5: Wireless edge directly driven by data centre.
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Data availability

The data that support the plots within this paper and other findings of this study are available via Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18241616)66. All other data used in this study are available from the corresponding authors upon request.

Code availability

The codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

L.C. acknowledges the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers U25D8009 and 12293052), the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation (grant number Z220008), Shanghai 2025 ‘Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan’, Joint Research Project of the Shijiazhuang-Peking University Cooperation Program, He Science Foundation, support from Qiming Photonics for the microcomb fabrication, High-performance Computing Platform of Peking University and Peking Nanofab. L.S. acknowledges the Beijing Outstanding Young Scientist Program (grant number JWZ020240102001). B.D. acknowledges the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 62322101). Xiangpeng Zhang acknowledges the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 62401020). We thank J. E. Bowers and W. Jin from the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as D. Pan, P. Cai, N. Zhang and W. Wang at SiFotonics Technologies for their support in the experiments. We thank Y. Dai, D. Ren and H. He from Peking University for his assistance in polishing the English. We thank Z. Hao from Peking University for his assistance with the code. We thank Keysight for loaning the high-speed spectrum analyser. The experiments are supported by Peking University Nano-Optoelectronic Fabrication Center.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Yujun Chen, Jiahao Gao, Xuguang Zhang.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Photonics and Communications, School of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Yujun Chen, Jiahao Gao, Xuguang Zhang, Zixuan Zhou, Xiangpeng Zhang, Xiaoyu Zhang, Lei Zhang, Lingyang Song, Boya Di & Lin Chang

  2. Department of Electrical Engineering & State Key Laboratory of Terahertz and Millimeter Waves, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Ke Zhang, Yikun Chen, Chengfei Shang & Cheng Wang

  3. Key Laboratory of All Optical Network and Advanced Telecommunication Network, Ministry of Education, Institute of Lightwave Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China

    Zheng Li

  4. School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China

    Jiafan Gao

  5. Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Lin Chang

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Contributions

The experiments were conceived by L.C., B.D. and Yujun Chen. The EO comb was designed by K.Z., Yikun Chen, C.S. and C.W. The metasurfaces were designed by Jiahao Gao, Xiaoyu Zhang, Z.L., Jiafan Gao, L.S. and B.D. The experiments were performed by Yujun Chen, Xuguang Zhang and Jiahao Gao, with assistance from Z.Z., Xiangpeng Zhang, Xiaoyu Zhang and K.Z. The results were analysed by Yujun Chen, Jiahao Gao, Xuguang Zhang, Z.Z. and L.C. All authors participated in writing the manuscript. The project was performed under the supervision of L.C., B.D. and L.S.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Lingyang Song, Boya Di or Lin Chang.

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Nature Photonics thanks Armands Ostrovskis and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Supplementary Notes I–XVIII, Figs. 1–25 and Tables 1 and 2.

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Chen, Y., Gao, J., Zhang, X. et al. Multiband wireless systems based on microwave integrated photonics with metasurfaces. Nat. Photon. 20, 348–356 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-026-01863-w

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