A monopole fluorescent tube antenna with Wi-Fi Router

Abstract

A monopole plasma antenna for Wi-Fi application at 2.4 GHz was constructed using a commercially available fluorescent tube. The plasma antenna uses a fluorescent tube with length and diameter of 0.61 m and 0.025 m, respectively. The tube contains a mixture of argon and mercury vapor, which becomes conductive when sufficiently ionized into plasma state, allowing transmissions of radio frequency signal. The constructed plasma antenna was equipped with an access-point WiFi Router which is installed inside the casing of the fluorescent tube. The antenna's capability to operate as either a transmitter or receiver in the particular frequency band was verified through a series of wireless transmission experiments. Experimental measurement using a portable spectrum analysis application validated the operability of the constructed antenna.