Upper Bound Performances of Laser-Induced Graphene Dipoles in the UHF Band

Laser ablation can easily create graphene traces through the photothermal conversion of polymeric films. The so-obtained graphene, known as Laser-Induced Graphene (LIG), is eco-friendly, biocompatible and easy to produce, making it a promising option for creating flexible and conformable electronics for environmentally friendly and cost-effective communication over short to medium distances.Since LIG conductivity is significantly lower than that of standard conductors, the radiation efficiency of a LIG-antenna does not increase in a straightforward manner as expected for lossy materials. Hence, in this paper, we numerically and experimentally varied the length of a dipole antenna to identify the ideal size to achieve maximum radiation efficiency.The results showed that the lasing parameters that affect the properties of LIG only have an impact on the maximum radiation efficiency, and partly on the antenna size. Additionally, even with the most conductive LIG and optimal size, the radiation efficiency was still only 2 dB lower than that of copper.