Although previous research has explored the underlying theory of high-frequency behavior of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and CNT bundles for antennas, there is a gap in the literature for direct experimental measurements of radiation efficiency. These measurements are crucial for any practical application of CNT materials in wireless communication. In this letter, we report a measurement technique to accurately characterize the radiation efficiency of λ/4 monopole antennas made from the CNT thread. We measure the highest absolute values of radiation efficiency for CNT antennas of any type, matching that of copper wire. To capture the weight savings, we propose a specific radiation efficiency metric and show that these CNT antennas exceed copper's performance by over an order of magnitude at 1 GHz and 2.4 GHz. We also report direct experimental observation that, contrary to metals, the radiation efficiency of the CNT thread improves significantly at higher frequencies. These results pave the way for practical applications of CNT thread antennas, particularly in the aerospace and wearable electronics industries where weight saving is a priority.
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16 October 2017
Research Article|
October 20 2017
High efficiency carbon nanotube thread antennas

E. Amram Bengio;
E. Amram Bengio
1
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University
, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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Damir Senic
;
Damir Senic
2
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Communications Technology Laboratory
, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA
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Lauren W. Taylor;
Lauren W. Taylor
1
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University
, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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Dmitri E. Tsentalovich;
Dmitri E. Tsentalovich
1
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University
, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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Peiyu Chen;
Peiyu Chen
3
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University
, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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Christopher L. Holloway;
Christopher L. Holloway
2
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Communications Technology Laboratory
, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA
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Aydin Babakhani;
Aydin Babakhani
3
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University
, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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Christian J. Long;
Christian J. Long
2
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Communications Technology Laboratory
, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA
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David R. Novotny;
David R. Novotny
2
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Communications Technology Laboratory
, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA
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James C. Booth;
James C. Booth
2
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Communications Technology Laboratory
, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA
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Nathan D. Orloff;
Nathan D. Orloff
2
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Communications Technology Laboratory
, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA
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Matteo Pasquali
1
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University
, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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a)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
Appl. Phys. Lett. 111, 163109 (2017)
Article history
Received:
June 23 2017
Accepted:
September 24 2017
Connected Content
A companion article has been published:
Light, flexible carbon nanotube antennas with copper-like performance
Citation
E. Amram Bengio, Damir Senic, Lauren W. Taylor, Dmitri E. Tsentalovich, Peiyu Chen, Christopher L. Holloway, Aydin Babakhani, Christian J. Long, David R. Novotny, James C. Booth, Nathan D. Orloff, Matteo Pasquali; High efficiency carbon nanotube thread antennas. Appl. Phys. Lett. 16 October 2017; 111 (16): 163109. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4991822
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