You are currently viewing a new version of our website. To view the old version click .
Photonics
  • This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
  • Review
  • Open Access

31 December 2025

Physical Layer Security Techniques for Terahertz Communications Above 100 GHz: A Review

,
,
and
Graduate School of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Processing and System Integration for Next-Generation Optical Communication

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) communication above 100 GHz is widely recognized as a key enabler for sixth-generation (6G) networks because of its ultra-broad bandwidth and strong directionality. Meanwhile, the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence has considerably weakened conventional cryptographic methods at the network layer, making THz physical layer security increasingly critical. THz links are inherently susceptible to jamming and eavesdropping, which calls for dedicated security mechanisms that integrate physical structures with advanced signal processing. This review summarizes recent advances in two complementary directions. The first addresses signal domain strategies, including frequency hopping spread spectrum techniques, channel modeling, and artificial noise injection, to strengthen confidentiality and robustness against intentional interference. The second focuses on spatial domain strategies, where intelligent reflecting surfaces and beam steering architectures leverage topological diversity to reduce interception risks. This review also discusses the practical challenges these techniques may face in future 6G scenarios and identifies potential directions for further research.

Article Metrics

Citations

Article Access Statistics

Article metric data becomes available approximately 24 hours after publication online.