Researchers at Monash University and the University of Melbourne have developed a quantum-inspired approach to optical wireless communication that could make 6G networks faster, more reliable and energy-efficient.

As devices and networks face increasing demands for speed and capacity, the breakthrough addresses a major hurdle: Connecting not only phones and laptops, but also the chiplets inside computers and smart devices in offices and data centres. The findings, published in IEEE Communications Letters, promise fibre-like performance in indoor wireless networks.

Professor Malin Premaratne from Monash University explains that conventional wireless signals struggle in crowded or complex spaces: “Interference can slow connections, reliability drops, energy consumption and heat restrict performance and scaling networks requires complex wiring. Our approach makes 6G practical for everyday devices, delivering speed, reliability and energy efficiency that people can actually notice.”

The team’s innovation uses modular optical phased arrays inspired by quantum physics. Professor Thas Nirmalathas from The University of Melbourne noted that these flexible, reconfigurable blocks allow networks to focus signals precisely where they are needed, reduce interference through polarisation control, improve energy efficiency and scale easily without redesigning entire systems.

“In quantum devices, coherence and collective effects like superradiance allow many small sources to behave like one powerful emitter. Our quantum-inspired optical phased-array approach brings that ‘many-as-one’ principle to optical wireless, enabling scalable beamforming and more reliable, energy-efficient links as networks get denser toward 6G,” Professor Thas adds.

The research, supported by an ARC Discovery program, also involved Dr Kosala Herat, now a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at Lund University, Sweden and Sharadhi Gunathilake at Monash.

This development could enable faster, cooler and more efficient 6G wireless in homes, offices and public spaces, while powering smarter devices capable of handling the next generation of data demands.