Miniaturized Multi-Band Antenna via Element Collocation
The resonant frequency of a microstrip patch antenna may be reduced through the addition of slots in the radiating element. Expanding upon this concept in favor of a significant reduction in the tuned width of the radiator, nearly 60% of the antenna metallization is removed, as seen in the top view of the antenna’s radiating element (shown in red, below, left). To facilitate an increase in the gain of the antenna, the radiator is suspended over the ground plane (green) by an air substrate at a height of 0.250" while being mechanically supported by 0.030" thick Rogers RO4003 laminate in the same profile as the element. Although the entire surface of the antenna (red) provides 2.45 GHz operation with insignificant negative effects on performance after material removal, the smaller square microstrip in the middle must be isolated from the additional aperture in order to afford higher frequency operation. A low insertion loss path centered at 2.45 GHz may simultaneously provide considerable attenuation at additional frequencies through the implementation of a series-parallel, resonant reactive path. However, an inductive reactance alone will not permit lower frequency energy to propagate across the intended discontinuity. To mitigate this, a capacitance is introduced in series with the inductor, generating a resonance at 2.45 GHz with minimum forward transmission loss. Four of these reactive pairs are placed between the coplanar elements as shown. Therefore, the aperture of the lower-frequency outer segment includes the smaller radiator while the higher frequency section is isolated from the additional material. In order to avoid cross-polarization losses due to the orientation of a transmitter or receiver in reference to the antenna, circular polarization is realized by a quadrature coupler for each collocated antenna as seen in the bottom view of the antenna (right). To generate electromagnetic radiation concentrically rotating about the direction of propagation, ideally one-half of the power must be delivered to the output of each branch with a phase shift of 90 degrees and identical amplitude. Due to this, each arm of the coupler is spaced λ/4 wavelength apart.
- Research Organization:
- Nevada Test Site (NTS), Mercury, NV (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE NA Office of Defense Programs (NA-10)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC52-06NA25946
- OSTI ID:
- 1057199
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/NV/25946-1519
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Symposium, Washington DC, June 12, 2012
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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