Publication
Pinching-Antenna-Assisted Terahertz Communications: Modeling and Benchmarking
Wei Jiang; Hans Dieter Schotten
In: Proceedings of the 2026 IEEE 104th Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC2026-Fall). IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC-2026), September 6-9, Boston, MA, USA, IEEE, 9/2026.
Abstract
Pinching antenna systems (PASS) employing dielectric waveguides have recently emerged as a promising flexible antenna architecture for high-frequency wireless communications. While prior work has focused primarily on millimeter-wave regimes, extending PASS to the terahertz (THz) band introduces distinct electromagnetic phenomena that invalidate conventional modeling assumptions. This paper develops the first analytical framework for THz-PASS that integrates in-waveguide propagation attenuation, evanescent coupling via coupled-mode theory, and THz-specific free-space effects including molecular absorption and its re-radiation noise. Using this model, we benchmark THz-PASS against conventional phased arrays under identical propagation scenarios. Our comparative evaluation reveals that THz-PASS achieves effective gains in spectral efficiency through proximity exploitation, making it particularly well-suited for confined and linear deployment topologies.