Hybrid terahertz antenna design for body-centric applications

Short-range wireless communication at terahertz (THz) frequencies has many obstacles, given the very small antenna size (a few micrometers). Moreover, traditional radiating antenna elements such as copper, gold etc. have low mobility of electrons at THz frequencies, resulting in a high channel attenuation and low antenna efficiency. On the other hand, graphene displays remarkable electrical properties at THz frequencies and, can be an ideal material for antenna design resulting in high efficiency. However, there are challenges due to difficulties in fabrication and high absorption, particularly at higher chemical potentials. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of a graphene-based THz antenna in free-space and on-body using three layers of human skin. Simulated results show that the proposed antenna has a bandwidth of 20 GHz and offers a radiation efficiency of 93% in free-space, whereas 50% on-body, with respective gains of 5.9 dB and 5 dB. The small and flexible structure of the antenna along with excellent impedance matching, and high bandwidth make it a suitable candidate for short-range wireless communication in the vicinity of the human body.