A micro-scaled graphene-based wideband (0.57–1.02 THz) patch antenna for terahertz applications

Abstract

A compact microstrip antenna for terahertz applications is proposed and its characteristic parameters are analyzed by utilizing several conducting and dielectric materials. The proposed terahertz antenna consists of a modified E-shaped patch and slot loaded T-shaped ground plane. The proposed THz antenna structure is designed on a 45 µm thick Rogers RT/Duroid 6010™ substrate with grapheme as a conducting material. The performance parameters are analyzed using High Frequency Structure Simulator and the optimized dimension of the antenna is 130 × 100 µm2. The graphene based designed antenna exhibits a wide impedance bandwidth (IBW) of 450 GHz from 0.57 to 1.02THz with a fractional impedance bandwidth (FBW) of 56.60%. The designed E-shaped antenna shows significant improvements in its FBW and bandwidth dimension ratio (BDR) due to the incorporation of rectangular slot in the T-shaped ground plane. The suggested antenna offers maximum reflection coefficient (S11) of −19.49 dB, adequate VSWR (<2) over operating band, peak gain of 3.47dBi, peak radiation efficiency of 92% and bandwidth dimension ratio (BDR) of 1206.05. Furthermore, effects of different dielectric materials (Rogers RT/Duroid 6010, Polyamide, Sio2, Arlon CE 1000) and conducting materials (copper, silver, graphene and gold) on the performance of the proposed antenna are investigated and discussed. The suggested THz antenna is suitable for ultra – speed short distance communication, medical, imaging and sensing applications in THz region.