The conductivity, current distribution, and radiation efficiency for a variety of dipole antennas constructed from carbon nanotube thread/rope are simulated using Hallén's integral equation for a thin wire applied to the method of moments and are compared to a standard copper wire dipole antenna. Next, the conductivity and weight of fully fabricated carbon nanotube thread and rope samples are measured and analyzed. Finally, half-wavelength copper and carbon nanotube (CNT) thread dipole antenna prototypes are fabricated, measured, and analyzed. Simulation results indicate that the CNT thread/rope antenna performance improves with increased diameter and that the application of these materials as a half wavelength dipole antenna yields manageable losses of less than 1-5 dB at RF frequencies above 10 GHz. Measured sample results demonstrate that the existing single-ply CNT thread exhibits a conductivity approximately 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than copper. The braiding method employed to produce large diameter CNT rope was demonstrated to be a poor method for increasing thread diameter and conductivity due to the additional resistive losses that the braiding geometry introduced. Dimethyl sulfoxide densification was found to be a valuable method for improving CNT thread conductivity and lowering the thread contact resistance. Dipole antenna prototype measurements confirm the functionality of the CNT thread as an antenna, albeit with a 4% downward frequency shift due to reactance effects and material losses of greater than 12 dB at 2.45 GHz as predicted by the results from the method of moments simulations.Index Terms-Carbon nanotube (CNT), dimethyl sufoxide, dipole antenna, Hallen's integral equation, method of moments.
A meshed carbon nanotube thread patch antenna is proposed and analyzed through full-wave electromagnetic simulation. The effects of thread spacing and of fabricating the feedline and ground-plane layers from meshed thread are explored. Results indicate that minimal impact on antenna radiation efficiency and usable bandwidth is achieved with a thread spacing of . A minor center frequency shift and reduction in realized gain and bandwidth occurs when the thread spacing is increased. When the feedline and/or ground plane is constructed from meshed carbon nanotube thread material, the realized gain is significantly reduced. Improvements to carbon nanotube thread conductivity should mitigate this reduction in realized gain.Index Terms-Carbon nanotube, meshed antenna, patch antenna.
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