Performance analysis and comparison of ITO- and FTO-based optically transparent terahertz U-shaped patch antennas

• An ITO- and an FTO-based optically transparent U-shaped patch antennas are designed to resonate at 750 GHz.
• Two transparent U-shaped patch antennas performances are analyzed and compared.
• The proposed transparent antennas performances are compared with that of the non-transparent copper-based U-shaped patch antenna.
• Due to low electrical conductivity of ITO and FTO, radiation performances of both the transparent antennas are lower than the copper-based non-transparent antenna.

An indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) and a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-based optically transparent U-shaped patch antennas are designed to resonate at 750 GHz and their performances are analyzed. Impedance bandwidth, radiation efficiency, directivity and gain of the proposed antennas are investigated. The proposed transparent antenna׳s characteristics are compared with the copper-based non-transparent U-shaped patch antenna, which is also designed to resonate at 750 GHz. Terahertz antennas are essential for inter-satellite communications systems to enable the adequate spatial resolution, broad bandwidth, higher data rates and highly directional beam with secured data transfer. The proposed ITO- and FTO-based transparent antennas have yielded impedance bandwidth of 9.54% and 11.49%, respectively, in the band 719–791 GHz and 714–801 GHz, respectively. The peak gain for ITO and FTO based transparent antennas is 3.35 dB and 2.26 dB at 732 GHz and 801 GHz, respectively. The proposed antennas are designed and simulated by using a finite element method based electromagnetic solver, Ansys - HFSS.

Summary: This plot shows that the antenna gain of the ITO- and FTO-based optically transparent terahertz patch antenna is presented and compared with that of copper-based non-transparent antenna. The peak gains of ITO- and FTO-based transparent antennas are 3.35 dB and 2.26 dB at 732 GHz and 801 GHz, respectively. Due to low electrical conductivity of ITO and FTO, radiation efficiency and gain of both the transparent antennas are lower than the copper-based non-transparent antenna. The copper-based non-transparent antenna has narrow bandwidth (<5%) of 3.86%, whereas ITO- and FTO-based transparent antennas are shown to have a broad bandwidth of 9.54% and 11.49%, respectively.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide