Driving 6G Connected Mobility with LIGENTEC

  • On 8 May, 2025

How Our Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Photonics is Driving the 6G Revolution

The sixth generation (6G) of wireless communication technology is set to transform our digital landscape. Connected mobility and autonomous driving are emerging as flagship applications. At LIGENTEC, we’re proud to be at the forefront of this revolution, specifically through our contributions to the 6G-EWOC project (AI-Enhanced Fiber-Wireless Optical 6G Network in Support for Connected Mobility).

This EU-funded initiative has a 5.2 million Euro budget. The European Commission’s Horizon Europe program provides 4.0 million Euros of this funding. The project aims to enhance road safety and efficiency. To this end, it will achieve this through instantaneous information sharing among vehicles and infrastructure.

Our Photonic Solution for 6G

LIGENTEC’s breakthrough technology in Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) is at the heart of our contribution. Our innovative approach integrates thin-film lithium niobate (LN) onto our mature silicon nitride platform, thereby creating a hybrid solution. It delivers exceptional performance for next-generation communication networks.

This technology offers significant advantages crucial for 6G applications:

  • Superior Modulation Speed: Our thin-film LN technology enables rapid signal switching with direct on-chip modulation.
  • Minimal Signal Loss: Our renowned low-loss silicon nitride waveguides ensure optimal transmission quality.
  • Enhanced Beam Control: Expect faster steering response and sharper resolution for optical wireless communication.
  • Industrial Scalability: Our proven, wafer-scale production processes ensure this.

For connected vehicle networks requiring ultra-low latency and high reliability, our PIC technology provides the ideal foundation for next-generation communication systems.

Making an Impact

LIGENTEC’s technology is already contributing to significant research advancements within the 6G-EWOC consortium. Recent publications at leading conferences include OFC and AAAI 2025. These collaborations demonstrate how our PIC platform is enabling new possibilities, for instance, optical wireless communication, network security, and high-speed data transmission.

Beyond automotive applications, our technology has far-reaching implications. These include smart city infrastructure, industrial automation, advanced IoT deployments, and next-generation data centers. Industry demands for higher bandwidth and lower latency continue to grow. LIGENTEC’s PIC solutions provide the technological edge needed to meet these challenges.

We invite you to learn more about our role in shaping the future of 6G and connected mobility: