Pinching-Antenna-Assisted Terahertz Communications: Modeling and Benchmarking

2026-07-14

AI Summary

This work addresses the lack of accurate electromagnetic modeling and performance benchmarks for plasmonic antenna systems operating in the terahertz band. It presents the first comprehensive analytical framework tailored to this frequency range, integrating waveguide propagation loss, evanescent coupling described by coupled-mode theory, atmospheric molecular absorption, and re-radiation noise effects. Under identical channel conditions, the proposed system is benchmarked against conventional phased arrays. Results demonstrate that, owing to spatial proximity, terahertz plasmonic antenna systems achieve significantly enhanced spectral efficiency in near-field dense and linear deployment scenarios, thereby confirming their distinct advantages and suitability for constrained topologies.

Abstract

Pinching antenna systems (PASS) employing dielectric waveguides have recently emerged as a promising flexible antenna architecture for high-frequency wireless communications. While prior work has focused primarily on millimeter-wave regimes, extending PASS to the terahertz (THz) band introduces distinct electromagnetic phenomena that invalidate conventional modeling assumptions. This paper develops the first analytical framework for THz-PASS that integrates in-waveguide propagation attenuation, evanescent coupling via coupled-mode theory, and THz-specific free-space effects including molecular absorption and its re-radiation noise. Using this model, we benchmark THz-PASS against conventional phased arrays under identical propagation scenarios. Our comparative evaluation reveals that THz-PASS achieves effective gains in spectral efficiency through proximity exploitation, making it particularly well-suited for confined and linear deployment topologies.

Problem

• Terahertz communications
• Pinching antenna systems
• Electromagnetic modeling
• Waveguide propagation
• Molecular absorption

Innovation

• Terahertz communications
• Pinching antenna systems
• Coupled-mode theory
• Molecular absorption
• Spectral efficiency