Design and analysis of Slotted integrated Waveguide (SIW) antenna for THz applications

Swetha,Kumari,sreenidhi,Mahalakshmi
Bvrit Hyderabad College of Engineering for Women

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Keywords:
Terahertz (THz) array antennas are essential for advanced applications, including 6G satellite communication.
THz antenna
These antennas are designed to provide high bandwidth and efficient harmonic rejection, which are critical for
Array antenna
Graphene
reliable and high-speed communication. Substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) structure significantly affects the
Harmonic rejection antenna's quality factor (Q-factor) and gain. While SIW technology enhances these characteristics, integrating
additional components like power dividers can introduce challenges. power dividers can degrade the antenna's
return loss, which measures how much power is reflected back instead of being transmitted, and they can also
create unwanted resonances at other frequencies. These unwanted resonances, or harmonics, are undesirable in
practical antenna systems because they interfere with the primary operating frequency. To address this issue, a
THz filter based on graphene has been incorporated into the antenna design. Graphene, with its unique electrical
properties, is highly effective at filtering out unwanted harmonics. By placing this graphene-based filter between
the power divider and the antenna array, the performance of the system is significantly improved. The integration
of a graphene-based THz filter in the antenna array structure is a promising solution for overcoming the
challenges introduced by power dividers. It not only suppresses unwanted harmonics but also improves
bandwidth and return loss. These advancements are pivotal for developing high-performance antennas for 6G
satellite communication and other cutting-edge applications, paving the way for faster and more reliable wireless
communication

1. Introduction
Array antennas basically have limited element spacing to suppress
Terahertz (THz) array antennas are essential for advanced grating lobes. This, however, also limits the gain of the array. Since the
applications, including 6G satellite communication. These antennas are radiation pattern reconfigurable elements of the proposal suppress
designed to provide high bandwidth and efficient harmonic rejection, grating lobes, wide element spacing is possible. This yields high gain
which are critical for reliable and high speed communication[1]. The and wide beam scanning angles. A dual band folded dipole antenna is
terahertz (THz) antennas, which have features of small size, wide utilized as the antenna array element. A broadband symmetric feed
frequency bandwidth and high data rate, are important devices for network is designed to maintain each array element with the identical
transmitting and receiving THz electromagnetic waves in the emerging current magnitude and phase [5].
THz systems. However, most of THz antennas suffer from relatively
high loss and low fabrication precision due to their small sizes in high Arraying and adding a power divider can impact the antenna return
loss and increasing the harmonic or resonance in other frequencies
frequency ranges from ∼0.3 THz to ∼10 THz in the electromagnetic
frequency bands of THz waves [1] .The ‘terahertz gap’ has a
which is not interesting in real antennas. Therefore, a THz filter based
spectrum which in between microwave and infrared. The terahertz on the graphene load is added between the power divider and the array
radiations are invisible to naked eye & in comparison with X-ray they antenna to reduce the return loss in harmonic and increasing the
are intrinsically safe, non-destructive and non-invasive.[2] Terahertz bandwidth .Graphene, which is made by honeycomb formation of the
imaging has the ability to use very low levels of this non-ionising carbon. This particular 2D formation provides mysterious attributes that
radiation to detect hidden objects in clothing and common packing give us this chance to manipulate the electromagnetic characteristic by
materials and envelopes.[3] some changes in applied voltage . Graphene exhibits remarkable and
attractive properties such as thermal, mechanical, optical, and chemical
Substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) is a 21st-century This quality has been utilized in some antennas to design THz
transmission line offering innovative solutions for RF and microwave antenna[6].
circuit design. While microstrip components perform well at low
frequencies, they struggle at higher frequencies due to shorter This paper presents a novel THz antenna array integrated with a filter
wavelengths and complex fabrication requirements. Traditional to suppress harmonics. First, a single-element antenna is developed
waveguides, though suitable for high-frequency systems, are using SIW to enhance directivity, gain, and Q-factor. In the second step,
expensive, difficult to manufacture, and challenging to integrate with a power divider is designed to form a 1×4 array structure. However,
planar components. SIW bridges the gap between air-filled rectangular incorporating the power divider affects the antenna's return loss and
waveguides and planar technologies like microstrip. It enables efficient introduces new harmonics that degrade its performance. To address this,
implementation of RF and microwave devices, such as filters, graphene loads are integrated into the power divider in the third step,
multiplexers, power dividers, antennas, and sensors, advancing modern significantly improving the antenna's bandwidth while effectively
communication systems [4]. suppressing unwanted harmonics. The final array antenna demonstrates
superiorperformance.
2. Modeling and designing process

The proposed phased array antenna consists of three main

components: the antenna, a power divider, and a filter. The design is
simulated using CST Microwave Studio, a full-wave simulation
software based on time-domain methods. The antenna is excited
through a waveport, which serves as the photomixer in the practical
model. The boundary conditions are set to open and free space in all
directions, with a hexahedral legacy mesh order. The antenna utilizes a
lossless quartz substrate with a thickness of 10 μm and a permittivity
of 3.75. Additionally, graphene loads are incorporated in the filter
section to enhance performance.

2.1 Part a : the single element antenna

/ig. 2. The schematic of the basic filter by using the graphene loads.
The basic
design of the antenna
2.1 Part b : the graphene material
is a patch antenna,
enhanced with a
Graphene, a two-dimensional carbon nanomaterial with zero
Substrate Integrated
bandgap, has gained attention for THz applications due to its
Waveguide
exceptional mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. Its unique
(SIW) structure to
linear electron dispersion near the Dirac point, along with high carrier
guide the electric
mobility.At THz and infrared frequencies, graphene's carrier density
field across the
can be extensively tuned through chemical or electronic doping,
antenna surface
allowing for significant modulation of its Fermi level. These
efficiently.
characteristics enable its use in modulators, absorbers, plasmonic
Additionally, a Photonic Band-Gap (PBG) structure is incorporated to
devices, and electromagnetic cloaks. Leveraging these properties, we
act as a specialized lens, improving the antenna's gain.
are employing
Fig. 1 shows the single antenna geometry and as shown in Fig. 1(a)
graphene as a filter
and flower-shape with the length of L = 60 μm,W = 360 μm .
in our antenna
In the ground layer, as illustrated in Fig. 1(b), a structure similar to the system to suppress
front layer is designed. A row of vias is implemented on each side of harmonics
the antenna along the x-direction, connecting the top-layer parasitic caused by the
element to the ground layer. These vias act as boundaries, effectively power divider,
restricting the field distribution enhancing
The distance between the via (S) = 40 μm and the diameter (d) of
vias = 10 μm

Fig 1 The geometry of an antenna (a) top layer (b) ground

layer
performance and efficiency.Fig. 2 The length of graphene is 60.01 μm
and width is 30.0 μm.

fig. 3. The array antenna performance with power divider and graphene filter for
harmonic rejection (a) top layer view

2
fig. 3. The array antenna performance with power divider and graphene filter for
harmonic rejection (a) ground layer view

3
2.1 Part c: array antenna with filter and power-divider As shown in Fig . 5(b) The S11 curve shows two significant dips that
correspond to the resonant frequencies of the antenna, indicating points where
In the third section, an antenna array design incorporating a the antenna is well-matched to the source and efficiently transfers power with
conventional 1-to-4 power divider is proposed. The power divider is minimal reflection. The first dip occurs between 0.2 to 0.3 THz, with a
used to evenly distribute the input signal among the four antenna resonant
elements, ensuring balanced performance and consistent radiation
patterns. To address harmonic interference caused by the power
divider, a graphene-based filter is strategically placed between its
frequency around 0.25 THz and a magnitude of approximately -26 dB. The
outputs. This configuration effectively suppresses unwanted harmonics,
second dip is between 0.9 to 1 THz, with a resonant frequency around 0.95
leveraging graphene's tunable electrical properties to enhance the
THz and a magnitude of around -28 dB. These resonant frequencies represent
antenna's overall efficiency and signal clarity.The antenna array
the points of maximum efficiency for the antenna, where power is transferred
performance with power divider and graphene filter for harmonic
most effectively from the source to the load. And the gain is about
rejection and the top layer is presented as shown in Fig. 3(a) and the
ground layer is presented in Fig. 3(b), the power divider size is
1680×575 μm2.

3. Simulation result and discussions

Step 1: Initial Antenna Design

In Step 1, as shown in Fig. 4(a) the initial antenna structure was designed
using gold for both the patch and ground materials, chosen for its excellent
conductivity and reliability. Quartz was selected as the substrate due to its low
dielectric loss and stable electrical properties, making it ideal for high- Fig .5(a) Step 2 of antenna Fig . 5(b) return loss of step 2
frequency applications. This basic design aimed to provide a foundation for
understanding the antenna's behavior and performance. The primary focus Step 3: Complete Structure Development
was on creating a simple yet functional structure, providing a starting point
for optimization in later stages. The design included considerations for
In Step 3, as shown in Fig. 6(a)the antenna was further developed into a more
impedance matching and radiation efficiency, though improvements would be
advanced and complete structure to achieve the desired efficiency and gain that
made in subsequent steps.
were not fully realized in Step 2. This stage involved refining the overall design
by optimizing the geometry of the patch, ground plane, and substrate, ensuring
As shown in Fig. 4(b) graph displays the relationship between frequency (in
better impedance matching and reduced signal losses. The antenna’s radiation
Terahertz, THz) on the X-axis and the magnitude of S11 (in decibels, dB) on
characteristics were carefully evaluated, and modifications were made to
the Y-axis. The dips in the S11 curve represent the antenna's resonant
enhance the beamforming capability and directional performance. Additionally,
frequencies, where it efficiently transfers power from the source to the load,
this step involved improving the antenna’s bandwidth to make it more suitable
resulting in minimal reflection (low S11). Specifically, the dips between 0.2
for a wider range of applications. The result was a more efficient and higher-
THz and 0.3 THz likely correspond to the antenna's resonances, with the
performing antenna, laying the groundwork for the integration of advanced
magnitude of S11 reaching up to -11.6 dB at these frequencies.The antenna
technologies in the next stage.
gain is about

As shown in Fig. 6(b) The S11 curve shows a prominent dip between 0.7 and
0.8 THz, indicating the antenna's resonant frequency at approximately 0.75
THz, with a depth of around -22 dB. This suggests that at this frequency, the
antenna is well-matched to the source, with minimal power reflection. In
addition, there are several other dips in the S11 curve, particularly between 0.2
and 0.3 THz, which also point to potential resonant frequencies of the antenna.
However, these dips are less pronounced than the one around 0.75 THz,
implying that the impedance match at these frequencies is not as optimal.And
the gain is about

Fig .4(a) Step 1 of antenna Fig. 4(b) return loss of step 1

Step 2: Enhanced Design for Improved Performance

In Step 2, as shown in Fig. 5(a)the antenna design was refined to enhance its
performance, focusing on increasing both efficiency and gain. Various
optimization techniques were applied, such as adjusting the dimensions of the
patch and ground plane, improving the substrate properties, and fine-tuning
the overall structure. The goal was to reduce losses and enhance the radiation
Fig .6(a) Step 3 of an antenna Fig .6(b) return loss of step 3
pattern. This step also involved analyzing the antenna’s impedance matching
to ensure maximum power transfer and minimize reflection. These design
modifications contributed to a more efficient antenna with improved Step 4: Incorporating SIW Technology
directional gain, setting the foundation for further advancements in Step 3.
In step 4,as shown in Fig. 7(a) Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW)

4
technology was integrated into the antenna design. Vias were added to the configuration also helped to minimize the physical size of the antenna.
structure to create a waveguide-like behavior within the substrate. This
approach significantly enhanced the antenna’s performance by improving its
bandwidth, reducing

losses, and providing better control over the signal propagation. The SIW
As shown in Fig .7(b) The S11 curve exhibits multiple dips, each 4.CONCLUSION
corresponding to different resonant frequencies of the antenna. The
first dip, between 0.2 and 0.3 THz, has a magnitude of -21 dB, indicating a In conclusion the antenna design progressed through multiple stages to
strong resonance where a significant portion of the incident power is enhance its efficiency and performance . Starting from the basic design with
transmitted to the antenna rather than reflected. The second dip, also within the gold as the patch and quartz as the substrate ,the antenna structure was
same frequency range, has a magnitude of -16 dB, suggesting slightly higher optimized in steps, incorporating advanced technologies like Substrate
reflection but still a reasonable level of power transfer. The third dip, between Integrated Wave guide(SIW) and graphene filters. These improvements led to
0.7 and 0.8 THz, shows a magnitude of a f inal array configuation with a power divider, achieving the desired
18 dB, indicating an intermediate level of reflection at a higher frequency. The efficiency and gain. The S11 parameter which indicates power reflection ,
gain is about demonstrated strong resonant frequencies at specific points,highlighting the
antennas optimal performance in transferring power with minimal reflections.

The S11 curve revelead several significant dips corresponding to the antenna
Resonant frequencies with the deepest dip occuring between 0.6 to 0.8 THz
where the reflection coefficient reached -39 dB. Other resonant frequencies
were identified between 0.2 and 0.3 THz, as well as between 1.2 and 1.3 THz,
with reflection coefficients with reflection coefficients of -26 dB and -36 dB.
These results suggest that the antenna is well-matched to the source at these
Fig . 7(a) Step 4 of an antenna Fig . 7(b) return loss of step 4 Frequencies ,allowing efficient power transfer and minimal reflection .
Overall,the design achieved excellent impedence matching and optimal
Step 5: Final Design with Array Configuration performance across the target frequency range validating the effectiveness of
modifications made during each design step.
In Step 5, as shown in Fig 8(a) the antenna was further enhanced by using the
design from Step 4 as the basis for an antenna array. The array configuration
was employed to increase the overall gain and radiation efficiency by
combining multiple antenna elements. A power divider was integrated into the 5.REFERENCES
system to manage the distribution of power across the array elements, ensuring
balanced signal delivery.Additionally, to address harmonic distortion caused
by the power divider, graphene material was incorporated as a filter. This filter
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Fig . 8(a) Step 5 of an antenna Fig .8(b) return loss of step 5