Testbed and resources

TeraNova

TeraNova is the lab’s integrated testbed for ultrabroadband communication and sensing above 100 GHz, with radio front ends operating up to 1.05 THz and signal processing back ends handling up to 32 GHz of bandwidth.

The TeraNova bench in the lab, with instruments on the shelves and two front ends on tripods facing each other across the bench. — The testbed on its bench. Photo: Ultrabroadband Nanonetworking Laboratory.

The 1 THz transmitter front end on its mounting plate, seen from above: the multiplier chain, waveguide components, cooling and the IF and LO inputs. — The 1 to 1.05 THz transmitter front end. Photo: Ultrabroadband Nanonetworking Laboratory.

Gold-plated horn antennas and waveguide parts laid out in a row: a pyramidal horn, two conical horns and two waveguide flanges. — Horn antennas and waveguide parts. Photo: Ultrabroadband Nanonetworking Laboratory.

Six 3D-printed axicons and lenses in red, white, blue and green, conical, flat and domed, laid out on a yellow background. — 3D-printed axicons for shaping terahertz beams. Photo: Ultrabroadband Nanonetworking Laboratory.

A small square reflectarray chip in a gridded carrier, with fine metal patterns visible on its surface. — A 1 THz reflectarray. Photo: Ultrabroadband Nanonetworking Laboratory.

A slim gold leaky-wave antenna with a waveguide flange, next to a U.S. quarter for scale. — A leaky-wave antenna, next to a quarter for scale. Photo: Ultrabroadband Nanonetworking Laboratory.

Front ends. Schottky-diode frequency multipliers and mixers generate and modulate carriers at 95 to 120 GHz, 110 to 170 GHz (usually operated within 120 to 140 GHz, for regulatory reasons), 210 to 240 GHz and 1 to 1.05 THz, with directional antennas from 13 to 55 dBi. The testbed has three pairs of nodes at 110 to 170 GHz, one pair at 210 to 240 GHz and one pair at 1 to 1.05 THz, plus front ends at 95 to 120 GHz.

Back ends. Three signal processing engines trade flexibility for real-time operation: an arbitrary waveform generator and a digital oscilloscope, with 32 GHz of bandwidth per channel in transmission and up to 63 GHz in reception, for offline processing of any waveform; a real-time software-defined radio with up to 800 MHz of baseband bandwidth; and a multi-channel platform based on radio frequency systems on chip that processes four 2 GHz channels, 8 GHz in total, in real time.

Indoors. Besides the lab, TeraNova runs in the anechoic chamber in the basement of EXP and in the NextG Testing Room on the seventh floor of EXP.

Outdoors. Outdoor experiments run in the Northeastern University Innovation Zone, an area the FCC designated around the university where experiments can run under a program experimental license. The FCC renewed it for five years and amended its frequency bands in August 2026; the bands now reach 325 GHz and include 1 to 1.05 THz. FCC public notice DA 26-911.

The anechoic chamber in the EXP basement: walls, floor and ceiling lined with pyramidal absorbers, a walkway down the middle and an absorber-covered positioner at the far end. — The anechoic chamber in the basement of EXP, where TeraNova measurements also run. Photo: Northeastern University College of Engineering

TeraNova was started with support from the National Science Foundation (CNS-1730148) and extended with support from the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Office of Naval Research.

Papers on TeraNova

P. Sen^a, D. Pados, S. Batalama, E. Einarsson, J. P. Bird, and J. M. Jornet, “The TeraNova Platform: An Integrated Testbed for Ultra-broadband Wireless Communications at True Terahertz Frequencies”, Elsevier Computer Networks, vol. 179, p. 107370, October 2020.
doi:10.1016/j.comnet.2020.107370
P. Sen^a and J. M. Jornet, “Experimental Demonstration of Ultra-broadband Wireless Communications at True Terahertz Frequencies”, in Proc. of the 19th IEEE International Workshop on Signal Processing Advances in Wireless Communications (SPAWC), Nice, France, July 2019. (Invited)
doi:10.1109/spawc.2019.8815595
P. Sen^a, V. Ariyarathna^a, A. Madanayake, and J. M. Jornet, “Experimental Wireless Testbed for Ultrabroadband Terahertz Networks”, in Proc. of the 14th ACM Workshop on Wireless Network Testbeds, Experimental evaluation& CHaracterization (WiNTECH 2020), September 2020.
doi:10.1145/3411276.3412196
P. Sen^a, V. Ariyarathna^a, A. Madanayake, and J. M. Jornet, “A Versatile Experimental Testbed for Ultrabroadband Communication Networks Above 100 GHz”, Elsevier Computer Networks, vol. 193, p. 108092, July 2021.
doi:10.1016/j.comnet.2021.108092
J. M. Jornet, P. Sen^a, and V. Ariyarathna^a, “Ultra-Broadband Networking Systems Testbed at Northeastern University”, Terahertz Communications, pp. 473–476, Springer, 2022.
doi:10.1007/978-3-030-73738-2_46
V. Ariyarathna^a, A. Madanayake, and J. M. Jornet, “Real-Time Digital Baseband System for Ultra-Broadband THz Communication”, in Proc. of the 45th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz), Buffalo, NY, USA, November 2020.
doi:10.1109/irmmw-thz46771.2020.9370733
H. Abdellatif^a, V. Ariyarathna^a, S. Petrushkevich^a, A. Madanayake, and J. M. Jornet, “A Real-Time Ultra-broadband Software-Defined Radio Platform for Terahertz Communications”, in Proc. of the IEEE International Conference on Computer Communications (INFOCOM), May 2022, Demo Track. (AR: 30%)
doi:10.1109/infocomwkshps54753.2022.9798100
V. Ariyarathna^a, A. Madanayake, and J. M. Jornet, “Toward Real-Time Software-Defined Radios for Ultrabroadband Communication Above 100 GHz [Application Notes]”, IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 24, no. 8, pp. 50–59, August 2023.
doi:10.1109/mmm.2023.3277362
H. Abdellatif^a, V. Ariyarathna^a, A. Madanayake, and J. M. Jornet, “A Real-time Software-defined Radio Platform for Sub-Terahertz Communication Systems”, IEEE Access, vol. 12, pp. 146315–146327, October 2024.
doi:10.1109/access.2024.3473615
D. M. Bodet^a, J. Hall^a, P. Sen^a, R. Johnson^a, I. Brandicourt^a, X. Cantos-Roman^a, O. Shoura^a, and J. M. Jornet, “Data Signals for Terahertz Communications Research”, Elsevier Computer Networks, vol. 203, p. 108628, February 2022.
doi:10.1016/j.comnet.2021.108628 Data
D. M. Bodet^a, J. Hall^a, A. Masihi^a, N. Thawdar, T. Melodia, F. Restuccia, and J. M. Jornet, “Data Signals for Deep Learning Applications in Terahertz Communications”, Elsevier Computer Networks, vol. 254, p. 110800, December 2024.
doi:10.1016/j.comnet.2024.110800 Data

TeraLink-1

TeraLink-1 takes TeraNova to orbit: a 225 GHz communications payload for a 6U CubeSat, selected for the AFRL University Nanosatellite Program. It is built from the same kinds of parts as the TeraNova nodes: frequency-multiplier front ends, a frequency synthesizer, filters and a board based on a radio frequency system on chip, with machined horn antenna arrays for transmission and reception.

Andrew Benincasa leads the payload, and Ahmad Masihi leads pointing and the ground station. The mission is carried out with the student TeraLink-1 team of the Northeastern Satellite Laboratory, a university-wide student club whose founding faculty advisor is Josep Jornet; the club's TeraLink-1 page follows the student side of the mission.

Rendering of the TeraLink-1 spacecraft with labels: S-band and UHF radios, energy management system, fine sun sensor, ADCS core stack, star tracker, reaction wheels, magnetorquer rods, a Valon 5030 synthesizer, the RFSoC, the sub-terahertz transmitter and receiver front ends, and the sub-terahertz transmit and receive antennas. — Layout of the TeraLink-1 spacecraft, with the sub-terahertz payload. Figure: Ultrabroadband Nanonetworking Laboratory and Northeastern Satellite Laboratory. Open full size

The TeraLink-1 payload laid out on a blue mat, seen from above: two front ends, a frequency synthesizer, filters, an RFSoC board and two machined horn antenna arrays. — The payload, laid out. Photo: Ultrabroadband Nanonetworking Laboratory and Northeastern Satellite Laboratory.

A JPL-built front end on a mounting plate, with gold waveguide components, an amplifier and wiring, labeled "JPL 210-230 GHz TX". — A JPL-built front end at 210 to 230 GHz, from TeraNova. Photo: Ultrabroadband Nanonetworking Laboratory and Northeastern Satellite Laboratory.

Close-up of a machined aluminum horn antenna array for the TeraLink-1 payload: a square grid of pyramidal horns. — A machined horn antenna array for the payload. Photo: Ultrabroadband Nanonetworking Laboratory and Northeastern Satellite Laboratory.

Papers and filings on TeraLink-1

A. Benincasa^a, S. Aliaga^a, A. Diez-Comas^a, and J. M. Jornet, “A Radio Payload for In-Space Sub-Terahertz Communications”, in Proc. of the Small Satellite Conference (SSC), August 2025.
J. M. Jornet, M. J. Marcus, J. F. O'Hara, and M. Pettus, “Comments”, Federal Communications Commission, SB Docket 26-54 (Spectrum Abundance for Weird Space Stuff), March 2026, ECFS 10315231967727. Proposes extending the companion Part 5 framework to sub-THz bands and power-flux-density-based compliance for passive-service protection; places the TeraLink-1 mission (225 GHz, 6U CubeSat) in the regulatory record.
Document

Software

TeraSim. An open-source module for the ns-3 network simulator for studying terahertz-band communication networks. github.com/jmjornet/thz
M. Polese, V. Ariyarathna^a, P. Sen^a, J. V. Siles, F. Restuccia, T. Melodia, and J. M. Jornet, “Dynamic Spectrum Sharing Between Active and Passive Users Above 100 GHz”, Communications Engineering, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1–9, May 2022.
doi:10.1038/s44172-022-00002-x Data Code
Z. Hossain^a, Q. Xia^a, and J. M. Jornet, “TeraSim: An ns-3 extension to simulate Terahertz-band communication networks”, Software Impacts, vol. 1, p. 100004, September 2019.
doi:10.1016/j.simpa.2019.100004 Code
Z. Hossain^a, Q. Xia^a, and J. M. Jornet, “TeraSim: An ns-3 extension to simulate terahertz-band communication networks”, Elsevier Nano Communication Networks, vol. 17, pp. 36–44, September 2018.
doi:10.1016/j.nancom.2018.08.001 Code

Datasets

Measurement data and signal captures from the lab, released with the papers below.

D. M. Bodet^a, J. Hall^a, A. Masihi^a, N. Thawdar, T. Melodia, F. Restuccia, and J. M. Jornet, “Data Signals for Deep Learning Applications in Terahertz Communications”, Elsevier Computer Networks, vol. 254, p. 110800, December 2024.
doi:10.1016/j.comnet.2024.110800 Data
M. Polese, V. Ariyarathna^a, P. Sen^a, J. V. Siles, F. Restuccia, T. Melodia, and J. M. Jornet, “Dynamic Spectrum Sharing Between Active and Passive Users Above 100 GHz”, Communications Engineering, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1–9, May 2022.
doi:10.1038/s44172-022-00002-x Data Code
D. M. Bodet^a, J. Hall^a, P. Sen^a, R. Johnson^a, I. Brandicourt^a, X. Cantos-Roman^a, O. Shoura^a, and J. M. Jornet, “Data Signals for Terahertz Communications Research”, Elsevier Computer Networks, vol. 203, p. 108628, February 2022.
doi:10.1016/j.comnet.2021.108628 Data