A quad-band flexible antenna for terahertz applications

Abstract

This paper introduces a terahertz (THz) flexible fork antenna, employing the microstrip feed concept for quad-band applications. The design utilizes a 0.022-mm flexible polyamide substrate, incorporating a ground plane slot. A modified fork patch with notches is etched to achieve optimal performance. Ansys HFSS is employed for simulation, analyzing key parameters such as voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), radiation pattern, and reflection coefficient. The antenna’s dimensions are 1 × 0.6 × 0.022 mm<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup>, facilitating quad bands with resonance frequencies at 0.415 THz, 0.450 THz, 0.635 THz, and 0.675 THz, each corresponding to maximum gains of 5.39 dB, 5.23 dB, 6.25 dB, and 6.47 dB, respectively. Since the antenna utilizes a flexible substrate, this paper additionally investigates how bending the antenna in the y and x directions affects its performance. The proposed THz antenna resonates across quad-frequency bands, exhibiting promise for applications in terahertz imaging, terahertz communication, medical imaging, and terahertz spectroscopy.