Exploring graphene loaded antenna for GHz potential applications by experiment

Graphene has become a hot topic since it was discovered. However, articles about using graphene in passive devices, especially the GHz band antennas for modern communication application, have been less reported so far. In this work, a dipole antenna printed on a substrate is proposed and experimentally investigated, where the graphene sheet is connected to the ends of the dipole. This dipole is designed to explore the benefits of using graphene in GHz antennas by experiment. Experimental results indicate that the bandwidth for S₁₁ <; -10 dB obtains an approximately 14.9% increase, covering 9.96-11.5 GHz after the graphene sheet is applied. Moreover, a series of simulation results come to the same conclusion that the bandwidth of dipole antennas can be enhanced after using graphene sheet. Since graphene is transparent and flexible, these results are also useful for potential applications of graphene in GHz antennas and devices, especially those in transparent and soft structure.