THz/RF Multi-Hop Routing Throughput: Performance, Optimization, and Application

2025-08-09

AI Summary

To address the throughput limitation of terahertz (THz) multihop routing caused by severe path loss, this paper establishes the first stochastic geometry-based analytical framework for THz multihop routing. We propose a stepwise optimal strategy jointly optimizing power allocation, relay selection, and hop count, and derive closed-form expressions for end-to-end throughput and coverage probability—enabling low-complexity, scalable performance evaluation. Theoretical and numerical results demonstrate that the proposed approach significantly outperforms existing stochastic geometry (SG) benchmarks, achieving throughput close to the theoretical upper bound. It also enables, for the first time, a systematic performance comparison between THz and RF multihop routing, and successfully extends to UAV network deployment and critical parameter design. The core contributions are: (i) the first stochastic geometric model for THz multihop networks, and (ii) a cooperative optimization routing mechanism approaching the capacity limit.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Reasoning under Uncertainty: Stochastic Optimization
• Search and Optimization: Evaluation and Analysis

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Web performance, measurement, and characterization
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Algorithms and analysis for heterogeneous, signed, attributed, multi-relational, temporal, higher-order, and annotated Web-related graphs
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) communication offers a promising solution for high-throughput wireless systems. However, the severe path loss of THz signals raises concerns about its effectiveness compared to radio frequency (RF) communication. In this article, we establish the first stochastic geometry (SG)-based analytical framework for routing in THz systems. We develop a stepwise optimization approach to maximize throughput, including power allocation, relay selection, and number of hops design. Analytical expressions for throughput and coverage probability are derived under the SG framework, enabling low complexity and scalable performance evaluation. Numerical results show that the proposed stepwise-optimal routing strategies not only outperform existing SG-based methods but also approach the ideal upper bound. Moreover, we compare the throughput and coverage performance of THz and RF routing and demonstrate the applications of the proposed analytical framework and routing strategies in system parameter design and unmanned aerial vehicle networks.

Problem

• Analyze THz multi-hop routing throughput and performance
• Optimize power allocation, relay selection, and hop count
• Compare THz and RF routing for UAV applications

Innovation

• Stochastic geometry framework for THz routing
• Stepwise optimization for throughput maximization
• Low complexity scalable performance evaluation