Graphene-based plastic absorber for total sub-terahertz radiation shielding.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electromagnetics
• Telecommunications Engineering

Background:

• Telecommunication systems demand higher data rates and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, increasing electromagnetic radiation (EMR) in higher frequency bands (up to terahertz).
• Unwanted EMR can disrupt electronic device operation and pose risks to human health.
• Current shielding materials primarily reflect EMR, merely relocating the pollution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate novel nonconductive, lightweight graphene-based composites for electromagnetic shielding.
• To investigate the shielding mechanism, focusing on absorption rather than reflection.
• To assess the potential of these composites in mitigating electromagnetic pollution.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of graphene-based composites using industrially compatible methods.
• Measurement of electromagnetic shielding effectiveness in the sub-terahertz range.
• Characterization of shielding performance, including specific shielding efficiency (dB cm³/g).

Main Results:

• Graphene composites achieved shielding of over 99.99% of electromagnetic energy in the sub-terahertz range.
• The primary shielding mechanism was identified as absorption, unlike reflection-based methods of conventional materials.
• Specific shielding efficiency values exceeded 30 dB cm³/g, surpassing typical metals.
• The composites are lightweight and nonconductive.

Conclusions:

• Graphene-based composites offer a highly effective solution for electromagnetic shielding, primarily through absorption.
• These materials present a significant advancement over traditional metal-based shielding, which merely redirect radiation.
• The developed composites show promise for addressing electromagnetic environmental pollution in telecommunication applications.