Investigation of Electromagnetic Wave Propagation in a Defected Photonic Crystal Square Lattice Structure

In order to overcome propagation loss at the terahertz (THz) range, recent advances in digital devices for ultra-high-speed THz communication systems provide a highly efficient antenna design with high directionality. For this purpose, this paper investigates the photonic crystal (PhC)-based patch antenna with the impact of a line defect in the square lattice structure. A line defect is vital in guiding the patch antenna's electromagnetic waves. The PhC antenna consists of patterned circular air holes in the substrate layer. The line defect is introduced in the rows and columns of the square lattice PhC structure. Further, the row and column defected slotted patch antenna performance is compared and the antenna characteristics of return loss, voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), gain and directivity are investigated. The proposed defected PhC slotted patch antenna resonates at 4.6 THz, and it is perfectly suitable for biomedical applications such as THz spectrometry, early detection of cancer in breast tissue, and wireless communication. Graphical Abstract