Wide-band metamaterial absorber for sub-6 GHz 5G applications: Reducing specific absorption rate

AEU - International Journal of Electronics and Communications · 2025 · Benefit · Insufficient evidence

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BenefitInsufficient evidencePaper 162

Study snapshot

PublicationAEU - International Journal of Electronics and Communications · 2025

Study typeengineering

Reported directionBenefit

Evidence ratingInsufficient

Abstract

Wide-band metamaterial absorber for sub-6 GHz 5G applications: Reducing specific absorption rate Routray P, Ghosh D. Wide-band metamaterial absorber for sub-6 GHz 5G applications: Reducing specific absorption rate. AEU - International Journal of Electronics and Communications, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.aeue.2025.155709. Abstract Wide coverage area, less sensitivity to noise, high data transceiving, low latency, IOT-based mass application, and increased connectivity make sub-6 GHz, a popularly used frequency band for 5G. However, the health issues due to the high amount of harmful electromagnetic radiation generated from the growing usage of the sub-6 GHz band have drawn the attention of researchers. This article presents a wide-band, polarization, and oblique angle insensitive metamaterial absorber with an absorption bandwidth of 1.9 GHz stretching from 3.1 to 5 GHz, covering bands of n77, n78, and n79 allocated for 5G. The design consists of combination of rings, split rings, and meander-crossed dipoles loaded with lumped resistors. The equivalent circuit is designed using a quasi-static approach and the design is fabricated and measured. The proposed absorber is demonstrated for the reduction of electromagnetic radiation and specific absorption rate in the entire 5G band allocated in the sub-6 GHz range. Conclusion The growing demands of 5G, especially in the sub-6 GHz band, can generate a large amount of EM radiation, which is harmful to living beings. This article presents a resistive loaded wideband metamaterial absorber based on the combination of rings, split rings, and meander dipoles. The absorption bandwidth of the absorber is 1.9 GHz ranging from 3.1 to 5 GHz, which includes the bands of n77 (3.3 to 4.2 GHz), n78 (3.3 to 3.8 GHz), and n79 (4.4 to 5 GHz). The absorber is independent of polarization angle and exhibits an absorptivity of over 80% up to an oblique angle of 60◦. The equivalence of the circuit is confirmed by comparing the absorptivity plots obtained from EM simulation and circuit simulation. The agreement between measured and simulation results veri fies that the structure can be used in a practical environment. The demonstration of the proposed absorber for the reduction of EM radiation and SAR generated in the 5G band is demonstrated to be up to 95%. Hence, the proposed absorber can be used to protect living beings and also can help to solve the concerns regarding health hazards due to the widespread use of 5G in the sub-6 GHz band. sciencedirect.com

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AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typeengineering

Effect directionbenefit

PopulationNot supplied

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureRF

Evidence strengthInsufficientConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

The paper reports a resistive-loaded wide-band metamaterial absorber operating from 3.1 to 5 GHz (covering 5G bands n77/n78/n79) that is polarization- and oblique-angle-insensitive, with reported absorptivity over 80% up to 60° incidence. The authors state the absorber can reduce electromagnetic radiation and the specific absorption rate (SAR) in the sub-6 GHz 5G band, reporting SAR reduction up to 95%, with measured results agreeing with simulations.

Outcomes measured

Absorption bandwidth (3.1–5 GHz; 1.9 GHz bandwidth)
Absorptivity (>80% up to 60° oblique incidence)
Reduction of electromagnetic radiation
Specific absorption rate (SAR) reduction (reported up to 95%)

Limitations

No biological/clinical population or health outcomes are reported in the abstract (engineering performance focus).
SAR reduction is reported without providing SAR values, exposure setup details, or dosimetry parameters in the abstract.
No sample size or measurement replication details are provided in the abstract.

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "engineering",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "5G sub-6 GHz",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": null,
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Absorption bandwidth (3.1–5 GHz; 1.9 GHz bandwidth)",
    "Absorptivity (>80% up to 60° oblique incidence)",
    "Reduction of electromagnetic radiation",
    "Specific absorption rate (SAR) reduction (reported up to 95%)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "The paper reports a resistive-loaded wide-band metamaterial absorber operating from 3.1 to 5 GHz (covering 5G bands n77/n78/n79) that is polarization- and oblique-angle-insensitive, with reported absorptivity over 80% up to 60° incidence. The authors state the absorber can reduce electromagnetic radiation and the specific absorption rate (SAR) in the sub-6 GHz 5G band, reporting SAR reduction up to 95%, with measured results agreeing with simulations.",
  "effect_direction": "benefit",
  "limitations": [
    "No biological/clinical population or health outcomes are reported in the abstract (engineering performance focus).",
    "SAR reduction is reported without providing SAR values, exposure setup details, or dosimetry parameters in the abstract.",
    "No sample size or measurement replication details are provided in the abstract."
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "metamaterial absorber",
    "wide-band",
    "sub-6 GHz",
    "5G",
    "n77",
    "n78",
    "n79",
    "SAR reduction",
    "electromagnetic radiation",
    "polarization insensitive",
    "oblique incidence",
    "lumped resistors"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "5g-policy",
      "weight": 0.35,
      "reason": "Focuses on sub-6 GHz 5G bands (n77/n78/n79) and discusses reducing radiation/SAR related to 5G use."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1016/j.aeue.2025.155709
PubMed: Not supplied

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