Graphene-Based Antenna Technologies for Terahertz Communication

Graphene has emerged as a transformative material for terahertz (THz) antenna technologies thanks to its exceptional electrical tunability, strong light–matter interaction and capacity to support surface plasmon polaritons at long wavelengths. Unlike conventional metallic antennas, graphene structures can be dynamically reconfigured by varying an applied bias, enabling beam steering, frequency agility and miniaturisation within a single footprint. Designs range from dipole and Yagi–Uda configurations to leaky-wave and reflectarray concepts, often in hybrid graphene–metal form, which balance radiation efficiency with device compactness. These innovations promise to underpin next-generation wireless links, high-resolution imaging systems and on-chip interconnects across the 0.1–10 THz band, addressing the growing demand for ultra-fast short-range communications and advanced sensing.

Research from Nature Portfolio

One investigation introduced self-biased graphene stacks for THz plasmonics, in which two or more graphene monolayers separated by thin dielectrics gate each other. This stack behaves as a single tunable layer without external electrodes, while an additional gate provides independent control of each monolayer’s conductivity, greatly enhancing reconfiguration depth. In another advance, an ultra-wideband directional Yagi–Uda antenna operating at approximately 1.25 THz employed a centre-fed graphene dipole flanked by graphene parasitic elements. By adjusting the chemical potential of each element, the main beam can be steered into four orthogonal directions, achieving gains of around 14 dBi and an impedance bandwidth exceeding 120 %.

Graphene-Based Antenna Technologies for Terahertz Communication publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in graphene-based antenna technologies for terahertz communication across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Graphene: A two-dimensional monolayer of carbon atoms in a hexagonal lattice, notable for its high electron mobility and tunable conductivity.

Terahertz (THz): The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between 0.1 THz and 10 THz, intermediate between microwave and infrared regimes.

Chemical potential: An externally applied bias that alters the carrier density in graphene, thereby controlling its surface conductivity.

Surface plasmon polariton: A coupled wave of electrons and electromagnetic fields that travels along a conductor–dielectric interface, enabling subwavelength confinement.

Yagi–Uda antenna: A directional antenna design comprising a driven element and multiple passive directors and reflectors to enhance gain and directivity.

Beam steering: Electronic adjustment of radiation direction without mechanical movement, typically achieved through phase or amplitude tuning of antenna elements.

References

1. Self-biased reconfigurable graphene stacks for terahertz plasmonics. Nature Communications (2015).
2. An ultra-wideband orthogonal-beam directional graphene-based antenna for THz wireless systems. Scientific Reports (2022).
3. Multifunctional THz Graphene Antenna with 360∘ Continuous ϕ-Steering and θ-Control of Beam. Sensors (2023).
4. A Review on the Development of Tunable Graphene Nanoantennas for Terahertz Optoelectronic and Plasmonic Applications. Sensors (2020).
5. Reconfigurable THz Plasmonic Antenna Based on Few-Layer Graphene with High Radiation Efficiency. Nanomaterials (2018).