Fractal Graphene Patch Antennas and the THz Communications Revolution

Fractal antennas have and are continuing to receive attention in regard to the futureof wireless communications. This is because of their wide- and multi-band capabilities, theopportunity of fractal geometries to drive multiple resonances, and, the ability to make smallerand lighter antennas with fewer components and radiative elements with higher gains. Smallscale (i.e. on the micro- and nano-scale) and ultra high frequency (in the Terahertz or THz range)fractal antennas composed of Graphene have the potential to enhance wireless communicationsat a data rate that is unprecedented, i.e.∼1012bits per second. A Fractal Graphene antennais a high-frequency tuneable antenna for radio communications in the THz spectrum, enablingunique applications such as wireless nano-networks. This is because (mono-layer) Grapheneis a one-atom-thick two-dimensional allotrope of Carbon with the highest known electricalconductivity that is currently unavailable in any other material, including metals such as Goldand Silver. Thus, combining the properties of Graphene with the self-affine characteristics ofa fractal at the micro- and nano-scale, provides the potential to revolutionise communications,at least in the near field (the order of a few metres) for low power systems. In this paper, weconsider the basic physics and some of the principle mathematical models associated with thedevelopment of this new disruptive technology in order to provide a guide to those engagedin current and future research, a fractal Graphene antenna being an example of an advancedmaterial for demanding applications. This includes some example simulations on the THz fieldpatterns generated by a fractal patch antenna composed of Graphene whose conductivity istaken to scale with the inverse of the frequency according to a ‘Drude’ model. The approachto generating THz sources using Graphene is also explored based on Infrared laser pumping toinduce a THz photo-current

Fractal Graphene Patch Antennas and the THz Communications Revolution

Fractal antennas have and are continuing to receive attention in regard to the futureof wireless communications. This is because of their wide- and multi-band capabilities, theopportunity of fractal geometries to drive multiple resonances, and, the ability to make smallerand lighter antennas with fewer components and radiative elements with higher gains. Smallscale (i.e. on the micro- and nano-scale) and ultra high frequency (in the Terahertz or THz range)fractal antennas composed of Graphene have the potential to enhance wireless communicationsat a data rate that is unprecedented, i.e.∼1012bits per second. A Fractal Graphene antennais a high-frequency tuneable antenna for radio communications in the THz spectrum, enablingunique applications such as wireless nano-networks. This is because (mono-layer) Grapheneis a one-atom-thick two-dimensional allotrope of Carbon with the highest known electricalconductivity that is currently unavailable in any other material, including metals such as Goldand Silver. Thus, combining the properties of Graphene with the self-affine characteristics ofa fractal at the micro- and nano-scale, provides the potential to revolutionise communications,at least in the near field (the order of a few metres) for low power systems. In this paper, weconsider the basic physics and some of the principle mathematical models associated with thedevelopment of this new disruptive technology in order to provide a guide to those engagedin current and future research, a fractal Graphene antenna being an example of an advancedmaterial for demanding applications. This includes some example simulations on the THz fieldpatterns generated by a fractal patch antenna composed of Graphene whose conductivity istaken to scale with the inverse of the frequency according to a ‘Drude’ model. The approachto generating THz sources using Graphene is also explored based on Infrared laser pumping toinduce a THz photo-current

Near-field electromagnetic wave scattering from random self-affine fractal metal surfaces: Spectral dependence of local field enhancements and their statistics in connection with surface-enhanced Raman scattering

11 págs.; 10 figs.By means of rigorous numerical simulation calculations based on the Green's theorem integral equation formulation, we study the near electromagnetic field in the vicinity of very rough, one-dimensional self-affine fractal surfaces of Ag, Au, and Cu (for both vacuum and water propagating media) illuminated by a p-polarized field. Strongly localized enhanced optical excitations (hot spots) are found, with electric field intensity enhancements of close to 4 orders of magnitude and widths below a tenth of the incoming wavelength. These effects are produced by the roughness-induced surface-plasmon polariton excitation. We study the characteristics of these optical excitations as well as other properties of the surface electromagnetic field, such as its statistics (probability density function, average, and fluctuations), and their dependence on the excitation spectrum (in the visible and near-infrared regions). Our study is relevant to the use of self-affine fractals as surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates, where large local and average field enhancements are desired. ©2000 American Physical SocietyThis work was supported by the Spanish Dirección General de Ensenñanza Superior e Investigación Científica y Técnica, through Grant No. PB97-1221. We also thank the Mexican-Spanish CONACYT-CSIC program for partial travel support.Peer Reviewe

Modelling scattering of electromagnetic waves in layered media: An up-to-date perspective

This paper addresses the subject of electromagnetic wave scattering in layered media, thus covering the recent progress achieved with different approaches. Existing theories and models are analyzed, classified, and summarized on the basis of their characteristics. Emphasis is placed on both theoretical and practical application. Finally, patterns and trends in the current literature are identified and critically discussed

Digital Image Processing

Newspapers and the popular scientific press today publish many examples of highly impressive images. These images range, for example, from those showing regions of star birth in the distant Universe to the extent of the stratospheric ozone depletion over Antarctica in springtime, and to those regions of the human brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Processed digitally to generate spectacular images, often in false colour, they all make an immediate and deep impact on the viewer’s imagination and understanding. Professor Jonathan Blackledge’s erudite but very useful new treatise Digital Image Processing: Mathematical and Computational Methods explains both the underlying theory and the techniques used to produce such images in considerable detail. It also provides many valuable example problems - and their solutions - so that the reader can test his/her grasp of the physical, mathematical and numerical aspects of the particular topics and methods discussed. As such, this magnum opus complements the author’s earlier work Digital Signal Processing. Both books are a wonderful resource for students who wish to make their careers in this fascinating and rapidly developing field which has an ever increasing number of areas of application. The strengths of this large book lie in: • excellent explanatory introduction to the subject; • thorough treatment of the theoretical foundations, dealing with both electromagnetic and acoustic wave scattering and allied techniques; • comprehensive discussion of all the basic principles, the mathematical transforms (e.g. the Fourier and Radon transforms), their interrelationships and, in particular, Born scattering theory and its application to imaging systems modelling; discussion in detail - including the assumptions and limitations - of optical imaging, seismic imaging, medical imaging (using ultrasound), X-ray computer aided tomography, tomography when the wavelength of the probing radiation is of the same order as the dimensions of the scatterer, Synthetic Aperture Radar (airborne or spaceborne), digital watermarking and holography; detail devoted to the methods of implementation of the analytical schemes in various case studies and also as numerical packages (especially in C/C++); • coverage of deconvolution, de-blurring (or sharpening) an image, maximum entropy techniques, Bayesian estimators, techniques for enhancing the dynamic range of an image, methods of filtering images and techniques for noise reduction; • discussion of thresholding, techniques for detecting edges in an image and for contrast stretching, stochastic scattering (random walk models) and models for characterizing an image statistically; • investigation of fractal images, fractal dimension segmentation, image texture, the coding and storing of large quantities of data, and image compression such as JPEG; • valuable summary of the important results obtained in each Chapter given at its end; • suggestions for further reading at the end of each Chapter. I warmly commend this text to all readers, and trust that they will find it to be invaluable. Professor Michael J Rycroft Visiting Professor at the International Space University, Strasbourg, France, and at Cranfield University, England