Numerical assessment of electric field distribution in planar and realistic skin models at 24 GHz

At millimeter-wave (mmW) frequencies used in fifth-generation (5G) FR2 systems, electromagnetic energy absorption is confined to the superficial layers of the human body, making the skin the primary interface of interaction. Consequently, the geometric representation of skin morphology plays a crucial role in numerical dosimetry. In this work, a high-fidelity multilayer human skin model is implemented in Sim4Life and compared with an idealized planar multilayer configuration under 24 GHz plane-wave exposure. Both models share identical layer thicknesses range and dielectric properties, allowing the isolated assessment of morphological effects. The realistic model reproduces nonplanar interfaces and adipose inclusions at the dermis-fat boundary. Results show that, while the overall attenuation of the electric field with depth is comparable between the two configurations, the realistic geometry introduces localized E-field variations at dielectric discontinuities, particularly at the air-stratum corneum-epidermis and dermis-fat interfaces. These findings highlight the importance of anatomically realistic skin models for conservative and physiologically meaningful dosimetric assessment in the FR2 band.