Measurement and Modelling of Dielectric Properties of Building Materials at Sub-THz Frequencies

Due to the large available bands and specific propagation characteristics, terahertz (THz) communication systems hold the promise of providing high throughput, low latency communications, with concurrent possibility of achieving high sensing accuracy. For the accurate modelling of THz channels in indoor communications environments, such as offices, meeting rooms, hallways, and living rooms, the precise knowledge of the dielectric properties of common building materials is essential. To this aim, in this paper we present a measurement setup based on state-of-the-art frequency-domain spectroscopy system. For an accurate characterization of the material properties, custom beam-guide fixture and signal processing technique were developed. Preliminary tests carried out with samples of well-known dielectric materials proved a good measurement accuracy. Further, we performed measurements of glass and ceiling board samples in the frequency band of 100 to 400 GHz. Using our measurements, we extended the model in ITU-R P.2040-3 by deriving custom parameters to describe the dielectric behavior of these materials. The outcomes of this study can improve the deterministic modelling of wireless channels at sub-THz frequencies.