Broadband low-loss on-body UHF to millimeter-wave surface wave links using flexible textile single wire transmission lines

Wagih, M. (2022) Broadband low-loss on-body UHF to millimeter-wave surface wave links using flexible textile single wire transmission lines. IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation, 3, pp. 101-111. (doi: 10.1109/OJAP.2021.3136654)

Abstract

On-body transmission represents a challenge due to human body shadowing. This paper proposes a Sommerfeld-Goubau single-wire transmission line (SWTL) implemented using electronic textiles for low-loss on-body links up to millimeter-wave frequencies, overcoming the spherical spreading loss and on-body absorption. The SWTL is fabricated using a conductive thread suitable for embroidery on textiles. A compact tapered launcher is implemented on a flexible polyimide substrate to excite the surface mode along the SWTL. In space, a 3 m-long line maintains a forward transmission over −10 dB between 1 and 3 GHz. The SWTL link is characterized for different body parts showing under 20 dB insertion loss with a 1 cm air gap. Across the torso, a forward transmission over −20 dB is maintained from 0.5 to 2.5 GHz, which represents at least 20 dB improvement over two antennas, of larger dimensions, over-the-air. Directly on-skin, the SWTL can be used around 1 GHz with an S21 over −25 dB, over 50 dB improvement over two on-skin antennas. At 50 GHz, the shielded SWTL exhibits an ultra-low on-body attenuation around 0.11 dB/mm, a four-fold improvement over a microstrip line on the same substrate. It is concluded that SWTLs can enable ultra high-speed future body area networks.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported in part by the U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under Grant EP/P010164/1, and in part by the U.K. Royal Academy of Engineering and the Office of the Chief Science Advisor for National Security through the U.K. Intelligence Community Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship Programme.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Wagih, Dr Mahmoud
• Authors: Wagih, M.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy
• Journal Name: IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation
• Publisher: IEEE
• ISSN: 2637-6431
• ISSN (Online): 2637-6431
• Published Online: 20 December 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Author(s)
• First Published: First published in IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation 3: 101-111
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence