Performance prediction of carbon nanotube bundle dipole antennas

A theoretical investigation is carried out for predicting radiation characteristics of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) bundle dipole antennas based on the distributed circuit parameters and the model of an SWCNT, where the cross section of bundles can be in a circular and a rectangular geometry, respectively. The current distributions in such novel antennas are predicted to investigate the effects of bundle cross-sectional size, tube diameter, tube length, and operating frequency. Furthermore, comparative studies are performed to show the geometry and frequency-dependent radiation resistance, far-field pattern, and radiation efficiency of some typical bundle dipole antennas, which are numerically confirmed to outperform an SWCNT antenna by 30-40 dB in radiation efficiency.