Design of a CPW-fed graphene-based conformai monopole on a paper substrate

Copper is typically used for the conductor in most antenna designs and flexible materials can be useful to make a conformal antenna. Here, a CPW-fed conformal monopole antenna was designed on a flexible low-cost paper substrate, and flexible graphene-based conductive material was used as an alternative to copper. The antenna was designed for 3.6 GHz applications with a size of 24 mm × 6 mm. The design was simulated in HFSS, a full-wave simulation tool; a prototype was manufactured using a micro-cutter; and measured in a full anechoic chamber. Overall, it was shown that the S-parameter simulations agreed well with measurements, and that the electrical benefits of the flexible graphene-based conductor can be utilized to design a CPW-fed conformal monopole antenna.