Surface wave-based radio communication through conductive enclosures

TL;DR

This paper introduces a surface wave antenna operating at 2.4 GHz that efficiently excites surface electromagnetic waves on metal surfaces, enabling broadband radio communication through conductive enclosures like Faraday cages.

Contribution

It presents a novel antenna design that leverages surface waves for effective communication through metal enclosures, a capability not previously demonstrated at this frequency.

Findings

Efficient excitation of surface waves at 2.4 GHz

Successful tunneling of surface waves through subwavelength channels

Potential for broadband communication through metal enclosures

Abstract

A surface wave antenna operating in the 2.4 GHz band and efficient for launching surface electromagnetic waves at metal/dielectric interfaces is presented. The antenna operation is based on the strong field enhancement at the antenna tip, which results in efficient excitation of surface waves propagating along nearby metal surfaces. Since surface electromagnetic waves may efficiently tunnel through deeply subwavelength channels from inner to outer metal/dielectric interface of a metal enclosure, this antenna is useful for broadband radio communication through various conductive enclosures, such as typical commercial Faraday cages.