Gain enhancement of a novel 1 x 2 microstrip patch antenna array based on cylindrical and cuboid photonic crystal substrate in THz

Recent advancements in the next-generation wireless communication technologies require high gain and larger bandwidth. In this paper, a high gain novel 1 x 2 circular microstrip patch antenna array is proposed to operate around 0.65 THz based on different substrates. First, the proposed antenna array is designed based on air cylinders holes embedded in a thick polyimide substrate, and then by using air cuboids holes. The proposed antenna array model is compared with a homogeneous polyimide substrate. The simulation results showed that the performance of the proposed antenna array was enhanced especially by using air cuboids holes and achieved a minimal return loss of - 74.10 dB, a wide bandwidth greater than 290 GHz, a gain of 10.57 dB, and radiation efficiency of 82.96% at a resonance frequency of 0.65 THz. Next, the gain of the proposed antenna array is investigated further by using two different substrates with a modified non-periodic photonic crystal where the air cylinders holes and air cuboids holes are mixed at the same time and embedded in the substrate with different diameter values. The simulation showed an enhancement in the gain where the highest gain was achieved by antenna array 4 of 12.03 dB. The proposed antenna array can be useful in imaging, sensing, and next-generation wireless communication technologies. The simulation is carried out by using the CST Microwave Studio simulator.