Electromagnetic Scattering From Randomly-Centered Parallel Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Embedded in a Dielectric Slab

An analytical full wave model of parallel, randomly centered carbon nanotubes (CNTs) embedded in a dielectric slab was developed to calculate the electromagnetic scattering from CNT composites. The model simulates empty and metal-filled single walled CNTs as infinitesimally thin wires, parallel and infinitely long in the z direction, but randomly located in the x- y plane. The wires have the equivalent impedance of CNTs and are embedded in a dielectric slab with finite thickness in the x direction but infinite in the y and z directions. The electromagnetic radiation propagates in the x direction, and the entire model is periodic in the y direction. The main goal of this work is to investigate how the variations in the random locations and impedances of the CNTs can lead to variations in the electromagnetic scattering from the composite. Composites with metal-filled CNTs exhibit more variations in the electromagnetic scattering than unfilled CNTs. The model also showed that increasing the density of CNTs, decreasing the losses of the dielectric matrix, and the random incorporation of nonidentical CNTs increases the variations in the electromagnetic scattering. The model is finally used to demonstrate how simple fabrication tolerances can affect the variations in electromagnetic scattering.