Detection of Toxic Gases Using Flexible Metamaterial Absorber at Terahertz Frequencies

Abstract

The development of technology implies the release of several gases to the environment. These gases, especially toxic ones, have many negative effects on human life and cause many diseases that will adversely affect human health. In this respect, effective and accurate identification of these gases are important in terms of preventing possible damages. In this study, a sensor design that can detect toxic gases using a metamaterial structure operating in the gigahertz frequency range is presented. Metamaterials not found in nature are defined as artificial or synthetic structures and can be used in many applications, including sensors, thanks to their negative index of refraction. Here a metamaterial-based sensor application for the detection of the carbon monoxide, a toxic gas, is investigated. The sensor performance was analyzed by adding 50% and 100% toxic gas to the suggested metamaterial design, and 0.010 and 0.013 THz shifts were obtained in the resonance frequency, respectively. This shift indicates that this structure is a viable candidate in sensor applications for the carbon monoxide.