Imagine a Sci-Fi title with this scene: At the last moment, some critical battlefield information is transmitted by a huge, bright and colorful beam of plasma antenna that shines the ground like Sun at night. It would make a spectacular and impressive scene of SFX and CGI, just like the SFX of the wrapped engine in the new Star Trek..
> during the early days of mobile phones
Probably not a good idea, in its original form, it requires a lot of power from the mains to maintain its arc discharge, which is what turns it into an antenna, kind of like a vacuum tube that needs a constant heating power. But Wikipedia says antenna-on-chip is possible, which is quite interesting.
An arc discharge is a hot, high current density process. [1] The discharge in a fluorescent lamp is a glow discharge: low current density, moderate temperature and extended volume. [2]
The first article gives fluorescent lights as an example of modern usage of arc lighting... The second article distinguishes between glow discharge and arcing.
> during the early days of mobile phones
Probably not a good idea, in its original form, it requires a lot of power from the mains to maintain its arc discharge, which is what turns it into an antenna, kind of like a vacuum tube that needs a constant heating power. But Wikipedia says antenna-on-chip is possible, which is quite interesting.