volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

A broadband artificial material based on meander-line (ML) structures is proposed for enhancing the gain of printed end-fire antennas. The ML based material with an effective index of refraction greater than 1 behaves as a dielectric lens in improving the directivity of an end-fire antenna. The electric field intensity distribution can be changed by the material, resulting in a more directional emission. Simulated results indicate extending the length or width of the material can lead to more significant gain enhancement without destroying the impedance bandwidth of the antenna. Three printed end-fire antennas with and without material loading are fabricated and measured. The measurements show that end-fire antennas loaded with two and four rows of ML structures can obtain gain increments of 0.6-3.6 dB and 1.2-5.7 dB, respectively, and that the radiation patterns are narrowed in both E- and H-planes over the whole operating band (6-11.5 GHz).

1. Silveirinha, M. and N. Engheta, "Design of matched zero-index metamaterials using nonmagnetic inclusions in epsilon-near-zero media," Physics Rev. B, Vol. 75, No. 7, 075119, 2007.
doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.75.075119 Google Scholar

2. Liu, R., A. Degiron, J. J. Mock, and D. R. Smith, "Negative index material composed of electric and magnetic resonators," Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 90, No. 26, 263504, 2007.
doi:10.1063/1.2752120 Google Scholar

3. Turpin, J. P., Q.Wu, D. H. Werner, B.Martin, M. Bray, and E. Lier, "Near-zero-indexmetamaterial lens combined with AMC metasurface for high-directivity low-profile antennas," IEEE Trans. on Antennas and Propagat., Vol. 62, No. 1, 1928-1936, 2014.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2014.2302845 Google Scholar

4. Jiang, Z., Q. Wu, D. Brocker, P. Sieber, and D. Werner, "A low-profile high-gain substrate-integrated waveguide slot antenna enabled by an ultrathin anisotropic zero-index metamaterial coating," IEEE Trans. on Antennas and Propagat., Vol. 62, No. 3, 1173-1183, 2014.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2013.2294354 Google Scholar

5. Aghanejad, ., H. Abiri, and A. Yahaghi, "Design of high-gain lens antenna by gradient-index metamaterials using transformation optics," IEEE Trans. on Antennas and Propagat., Vol. 60, 4074-4081, 2012.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2012.2207051 Google Scholar

6. Chen, X., H. F. Ma, X. Y. Zou, W. X. Jiang, and T. J. Cui, "Three-dimensional broadband andhigh-directivity lens antenna made of metamaterials," Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 110, No. 4, 044904, 2011.
doi:10.1063/1.3622596 Google Scholar

7. Yuan, L., W. Tang, H. Li, Q. Cheng, and T. Cui, "Three-dimensional anisotropic zero-index lenses," IEEE Trans. on Antennas and Propagat, Vol. 62, No. 2, 4135-4142, 2013. Google Scholar

8. Ramaccia, D., F. Scattone, F. Bilotti, and A. Toscano, "Broadband compact horn antennas by using EPS-ENZ metamaterial lens," IEEE Trans. on Antennas and Propagat., Vol. 61, No. 6, 2929-2937, 2013.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2013.2250235 Google Scholar

9. Lee, Y. J., J. Yeo, R. Mittra, and W. S. Park, "Application of electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) superstrates with controllable defects for a class of patch antennas as spatial angular filters," IEEE Trans. on Antennas and Propagat., Vol. 53, No. 1, 224-235, 2005.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2004.840521 Google Scholar

10. Zhou, B. and T. J. Cui, "Directivity enhancement to vivaldi antennas using compactly anisotropic zero-index metamaterials," IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagat. Lett., Vol. 10, 326-329, 2011.
doi:10.1109/LAWP.2011.2142170 Google Scholar

11. Sun, M., Z. N. Chen, and X. Qing, "Gain enhancement of 60-GHz antipodal tapered slot antenna using zero-index metamaterial," IEEE Trans. on Antennas and Propagat., Vol. 61, No. 4, 1741-6, 2013.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2012.2237154 Google Scholar

12. Chen, L., Z. Lei, R. Yang, J. Fan, and X. Shi, "A broadband artificial material for gain enhancement of antipodal tapered slot antenna," IEEE Trans. on Antennas and Propagat., Vol. 63, No. 1, 395-400, 2015.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2014.2365044 Google Scholar

13. Cao, W., B. Zhang, A. Liu, T. Yu, D. Guo, and Y. Wei, "Gain enhancement for broadband periodic endfire antenna by using split-ring resonator structures," IEEE Trans. on Antennas and Propagat., Vol. 60, No. 7, 3513-3516, 2012.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2012.2196959 Google Scholar

14. Cao, W., B. Zhang, A. Liu, T. Yu, D. Guo, and Y. Wei, "Broadband high-gain periodic endfire antenna by using I-shaped resonator (ISR) structures," IEEE Antennas Wireless Propag. Lett., Vol. 11, 1470-1473, 2012. Google Scholar

15. Wang, H., S.-F. Liu, L. Chen, W.-T. Li, and X.-W. Shi, "Gain enhancement for broadband vertical planar printed antenna with H-shaped resonator structures," IEEE Trans. on Antennas and Propagat., Vol. 62, No. 8, 4411-4415, 2014.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2014.2325955 Google Scholar

16. Liu, R., Q. Cheng, J. Y. Chin, J. J. Mock, and T. J. Cui, "Broadband gradient index microwave quasi-optical elements based on non-resonant metamaterials," Optics express, Vol. 17, No. 23, 21030-21041, 2009.
doi:10.1364/OE.17.021030 Google Scholar

17. Tang, W. X., H. Zhao, X. Zhou, J. Y. Chin, and T.-J. Cui, "Negative index material composed of meander line and SRRs," Progress In Electromagnetics Research B, Vol. 8, 103-114, 2008.
doi:10.2528/PIERB08051201 Google Scholar

18. Qu, S.-W., J.-L. Li, Q. Xue, and C.-H. Chan, "Wideband periodic endfire antenna with bowtie dipoles," IEEE Antennas Wireless Propag. Lett., Vol. 7, 314-317, 2008. Google Scholar

19. Smith, D., S. Schultz, P. Markos, and C. Soukoulis, "Determination of effective permittivity and permeability of metamaterials from reflection and transmission coefficients," Physics Rev. B, Vol. 65, No. 19, 195104, 2002.
doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.65.195104 Google Scholar

Dr. Lei Chen

Dr. Zhen-Ya Lei

Professor Xiao-Wei Shi