Flexible Terahertz Antenna Arrays Based on Graphene for Body-Centric Wireless Communication

For body-centric wireless communication, a hybrid terahertz (THz) antenna design with a three-layer structure (gold, graphene, and a flexible substrate) is being investigated. Graphene and gold are the two main radiation elements employed in this design. Graphene is used to increase efficiency, whereas conventional metal (gold) is used with sufficient thickness for fabrication and measurement purposes. When combined, these two materials provide design flexibility by manipulating shape and structure, which can assist in addressing certain fabrication and measurement problems. Using an ungrounded coplanar waveguide feed (UCPW), the microfabricated structure provides a simulated efficiency of 98% at the resonant frequency of 0.84 THz. Because the cost of micro-fabrication has decreased considerably due to recent technical advances, the results of this study demonstrate that highly efficient THz antennas can be achieved for widespread applications, including wearable applications, with the help of 2D materials.