Fabrication of Low Loss and Near Zero Dispersion Suspended Core Polypropylene Fibers for Terahertz Communications Using Infinity 3D Printing Technique

Abstract

In this work we explore infinity 3D printing technique to fabricate continuous several-meter-long low-loss near-zero dispersion suspended-core polypropylene fibers for application in terahertz communications. The novel filament deposition modeling (FDM)- based infinity printing technique allows continuous fabrication of unlimited in length fiber sections of complex transverse geometries using advanced thermoplastic composites, and in our opinion is poised to become a key technique for advanced terahertz fiber manufacturing. Furthermore, particular attention in our work is payed to process parameter optimization for printing with low-loss polypropylene plastic, as well as an in-depth comparison between fibers printed using standard FDM 3D printers and infinity 3D printers.