Design and Simulation of a Graphene Material-Based Tuneable Nanoantenna for THz Applications

In higher frequencies, highly conductive materials such as nickel, gold, and copper lose their conductivity and behave as semiconductors, particularly in the optical Terahertz (THz) frequencies. Consequently, the main challenge in nanoantenna design is selecting a suitable material capable of operating in these frequencies. Graphene, with its superb electrical conductivity attributed to its structure consisting of a single-atomic layer of carbon, emerges as a perfect candidate to complement nanoantennas for optical frequencies. This paper presents a compact design and analysis of a plasmonic nano-pattern antenna based on graphene. The conductivity of the graphene material is tuned using the Kubo conductivity formula and the graphene chemical potential. Additionally, the Drude dispersive graphene simulation demonstrates a negative real permittivity, a vital condition for plasmonic resonance. The suggested antenna configuration comprises a rectangular graphene patch and a feed line printed on a silicon dioxide substrate. The study explores surface plasmon polariton (SPP) waves in graphene within the Terahertz range. Numerical methods were employed to simulate the proposed antenna using CST software. The simulation results indicate that the scattering value S11 is less than − 10 dB across the 100–1000 THz frequency range. Considering graphene's nanomaterial properties, the newly designed antenna achieves a maximum gain of approximately 16.53 dBi at 1000 THz and resonates at different frequencies by adjusting the chemical potential.