| Description |
The invention of antennas has revolutionized the world by enabling fast communications over long distances. Since their invention in the 1800s, antennas have been extensively studied at RF and microwave frequencies. The high conductivity of metals coupled with operation in a relatively loss-free environment has fueled the rapid development of antennas designed to operate at particular frequency ranges. Evolution of science and technology has now led to the study of lossy antennas. The ability to create nanometer scale structures has allowed for the creation of antennas for operation at very high (optical) frequencies. At these frequencies, metals are no longer excellent conductors, and their lossiness must be considered in order to effectively design and create resonant antennas. In the RF, the fast development of applications for antennas has led to an artificial allocation of frequency bands to prevent interference. In the nanoworld, electromagnetic spectrum allocation is more natural and is dictated by the particular application. In both cases, the ability to apply antennas relies upon control of their resonances. Lossy materials contribute an additional variable to the creation and control of resonant structures. The purpose of this research is to study the effect of material losses in RF and optical antennas. The investigation is done via the study of implantable spiral antennas at RF frequencies and crescent nanoantennas at optical wavelengths. |
