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Ti3 C2Tx Mxene Coated Polylactic Acid Horn Antenna for Ku Frequency Band Communications
Conference proceeding

Ti3 C2Tx Mxene Coated Polylactic Acid Horn Antenna for Ku Frequency Band Communications

Zahra Sarpanah Sourkouhi, Jamal Alhourani, Yury Gogotsi and Mohammad H. Zarifi
Digest - IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society. International Symposium (1995), pp 722-725
2025

Abstract

Increasing demand for high-performance wireless communications in emerging high-speed and low-latency systems drives innovative methods in antenna designs, fabrications, and manufacturing processes. This work, for the first time, presents polylactic acid (PLA)-based 3D-printed horn antenna coated with Ti3C2 Tx MXene from aqueous colloidal solution to produce metallically conductive layer. The fabricated antenna operates at Ku band frequencies (12 to 18 GHz) with simulated gain of ∼16.9dBi and measured reflection coefficient of below -16.4 dB. The structure of this horn antenna follows a commercially available metallic antenna with similar dimensions and flange sizes compatible with WR-62 waveguide. In a Tx/Rx configuration where the antennas were located one meter apart from each other, the average magnitude of the transmission coefficient of the MXene-coated antenna demonstrated ∼0.25 dB difference compared to the response of its metallic (aluminum) counterpart over a 6 GHz frequency. Furthermore, this unique method of fabrication resulted in a factor of 3 weight reduction compared to the metallic counterpart, which is important for low-weight and portable antenna arrays. Additionally, a significant manufacturing cost reduction is expected when replacing metal antennas with coated polymer devices.

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