A Three-Dimensional Path Loss Model for THz Band Aerial Communications

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new 3D path loss model for THz aerial communications that accounts for arbitrary transceiver geometry and frequency-dependent absorption, validated with simulation data.

Contribution

It presents a novel analytical model for 3D THz path loss in aerial networks, addressing limitations of existing models and validated across various aerial link scenarios.

Findings

Model accurately predicts THz path loss in 3D aerial environments.

Validated with atmospheric simulation data for multiple aerial link types.

Provides a unified framework for designing high-frequency aerial communication systems.

Abstract

Accurate characterization of Terahertz (THz) band path loss is critical for reliable high-frequency communication, especially in aerial networks where transceivers may operate at different altitudes. Existing THz-band path loss models for aerial networks focus on horizontal or vertical transceiver deployments, and fall short at modeling the random 3D geometry of transceiver locations. To address this limitation, we propose a new analytical THz path loss model that incorporates arbitrary 3D geometry of transceiver locations and frequency-selective absorption, obtained through a two-dimensional regression. We validate our proposed model with the propagation data collected via the Atmospheric Model (am) tool for multiple aerial link types, including drone-to-drone (Dr2Dr), medium-altitude aerial communication (MAAC), high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles~(UAV)-to-UAV (U2U) links over varying transceiver separation and sub-THz to low-THz spectrum, i.e., 0.1--1~THz. The proposed framework provides a unified and accurate model for analyzing and designing future high-frequency aerial communication systems.