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Terahertz Dielectric Characterization of Low-Loss Thermoplastics for 6G Applications

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Abstract

Common thermoplastics, namely, polycarbonate (PC), poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) are low-cost materials with potential applications in emerging 6G communications systems, ranging from microelectronics packaging to metasurfaces for reflectors and filters. In addition, low-loss materials are also needed for more pedestrian applications, such as packaging for entire handheld devices, subassemblies, and high-frequency windows where low-cost is key and long lifetime might not be a requirement. In this work, we utilize terahertz time-domain spectroscopy from 500 GHz to 2 THz to characterize the dielectric properties and loss tangent for each thermoplastic above. The plastics investigated have refractive index (\(\sim\) 1.6–1.7) in the 6G band with low dispersion. The absorption, however, increases at high frequencies as is common in disordered materials, highlighting a key challenge for 6G. Nonetheless, in absolute terms, all the thermoplastics studied present low-loss performance compared with (higher–index) common glasses and ceramics within the entire frequency range, suggesting that they are promising candidates for selected applications for future 6G systems.

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Acknowledgements

MZ, AL, and DSC gratefully acknowledge the support of Conseil Régional Grand Est, CPER SusChemProc, and Institut Carnot ARTS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georgia Tech-CNRS IRL 2958, Georgia Tech Lorraine, 2 Rue Marconi, 57070, Metz, France

    Min Zhai, Alexandre Locquet & D. S. Citrin

  2. School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Min Zhai, Alexandre Locquet & D. S. Citrin

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  1. Min Zhai
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  2. Alexandre Locquet
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  3. D. S. Citrin
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Correspondence to D. S. Citrin.

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Zhai, M., Locquet, A. & Citrin, D.S. Terahertz Dielectric Characterization of Low-Loss Thermoplastics for 6G Applications. Int J Wireless Inf Networks 29, 269–274 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10776-022-00554-x

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