Chapter 6:

Types of Antennas

1
Different Types of Antennas

2
Different Types of Antennas

1. Wire antennas
2. Aperture antennas
3. Microstrip antennas
4. Slot antennas
5. Array antennas
6. Reflector antennas
7. Lens antennas
… 3
6.1. Wire antennas

4
6.1.1. Dipole antennas

5
6.1.1. Dipole antennas

6
 6.1.1. Dipole antennas
Dipole antennas are most commonly fed with either coaxial cable
or some form of parallel wire transmission line

7
 6.1.1. Dipole antennas
Considering on antenna feeding for:

8
 6.1.1. Dipole antennas
Impedance matching network is commonly named balun

Equivalent circuit of coax-fed dipole

9
 6.1.1. Dipole antennas
Different baluns

10
6.1.2. Loop antennas

11
6.1.2. Loop antennas

12
6.1.2.1. Square Loop antennas

13
6.1.2.1. Square Loop antennas

14
6.1.2.1. Square Loop antennas

15
6.1.2.2. Circular Loop antennas
Radiation pattern for different lengths

16
6.1.3. Helical antennas

17
 6.1.3. Helical antennas
Radiation pattern:

18
6.1.3. Helical antennas

19
 6.1.3. Helical antennas
Normal mode:

20
 6.1.3. Helical antennas
Normal mode:

21
 6.1.3. Helical antennas
Axial mode:

22
 6.1.3. Helical antennas
Axial mode:

23
 6.1.3. Helical antennas
Axial mode:

24
 6.1.3. Helical antennas
Axial mode:

25
 6.1.3. Helical antennas
Axial mode:

26
6.1.3. Helical antennas

27
6.1.3. Spiral antennas

28
29
6.2. Aperture antennas

30
6.2. Aperture antennas

31
6.2.1. Horn antennas

32
6.2.1. Horn antennas

33
6.2.1. Horn antennas

34
6.2.1. Horn antennas

35
6.2.1. Horn antennas

36
6.2.1. Horn antennas

37
6.2.1. Horn antennas

38
6.2.1. Horn antennas

39
6.2.1. Horn antennas

40
6.2.2. Conical horn antennas

41
6.2.3. Standard horn Antennas

42
43
6.3. Microstrip antennas

44
 6.3. Microstrip antennas
Also called “patch antennas”

Rectangular Square Circular Annular ring

Elliptical Triangular

Common Shapes 45
 6.3.1. Feeding methods
z
Coaxial Feed

r h
x

y
Note:
A feed along the centerline at y
= W/2 is the most common
Surface current
(this minimizes higher-order
modes and cross-pol).

Feed at (x0, y0) x 46

L
 6.3.1. Feeding methods
z
Coaxial Feed

r h
x

Advantages:
 Simple
y
 Directly compatible with coaxial cables
 Easy to obtain input match by adjusting feed position

 x0 , y0 
W
Disadvantages:
 Significant probe (feed) radiation for thicker substrates
 Significant probe inductance for thicker substrates (limits bandwidth) x
 Not easily compatible with arrays L

47
 6.3.1. Feeding methods
Inset Feed

Advantages: x0
 Simple
 Allows for planar feeding
Wf
 Easy to use with arrays
S W
 Easy to obtain input match Microstrip line

Disadvantages:
 Significant line radiation for thicker substrates
 For deep notches, patch current and radiation pattern may show distortion

48
 6.3.1. Feeding methods
Proximity-coupled Feed
Advantages:
 Allows for planar feeding
 Less line radiation compared to microstrip feed (the line is closer to the ground
plane)
 Can allow for higher bandwidth (no probe inductance, so substrate can be
thicker)
Patch

Microstrip line

Top view Microstrip

line
Disadvantages:
 Requires multilayer fabrication
 Alignment is important for input match 49
 6.3.1. Feeding methods
Gap-coupled Feed
Advantages:
 Allows for planar feeding
 Can allow for a match even with high edge impedances, where a
notch might be too large (e.g., when using a high permittivity
substrate)

Gap Patch
Patch

Microstrip line
Top view Microstrip
line

Disadvantages:
 Requires accurate gap fabrication
 Requires full-wave design
50
 6.3.1. Feeding methods
Aperture-coupled Patch (ACP)
Advantages:
 Allows for planar feeding
Slot
 Feed-line radiation is isolated from patch
radiation
 Higher bandwidth is possible since probe
inductance is eliminated (allowing for a thick
Top view Microstrip line
substrate), and also a double-resonance can
be created
 Allows for use of different substrates to
optimize antenna and feed-circuit performance
Patch

Disadvantages:
 Requires multilayer fabrication
Slot
 Alignment is important for input
match Microstrip line
51
6.3.2. Basic Principles of Operation
 The basic principles are illustrated here for a rectangular patch,
but the principles apply similarly for other patch shapes.

 We use the cavity model to explain the operation of the patch

antenna.
z

h n̂

PMC

Y. T. Lo, D. Solomon, and W. F. Richards, “Theory and Experiment on Microstrip Antennas,”

IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagat., vol. AP-27, no. 3 (March 1979): 137–145.

52
6.3.2. Basic Principles of Operation
Main Ideas:
 The patch acts approximately as a resonant cavity (with perfect electric
conductor (PEC) walls on top and bottom, and perfect magnetic
conductor (PMC) walls on the edges).
 Radiation is accounted for by using an effective loss tangent for the
substrate.
 In a cavity, only certain modes are allowed to exist, at different resonance
frequencies.
 If the antenna is excited at a resonance frequency, a strong field is set up
inside the cavity, and a strong current on the (bottom) surface of the
patch. This produces significant radiation (a good antenna).

PMC
h n̂
53
 6.3.3. General characteritics
Bandwidth
 The bandwidth is directly proportional to substrate thickness h.

 However, if h is greater than about 0.05 0 , the probe inductance

(for a coaxial feed) becomes large enough so that matching is
difficult – the bandwidth will decrease.

 The bandwidth is inversely proportional to r (a foam substrate

gives a high bandwidth).

 The bandwidth of a rectangular patch is proportional to the patch

width W (but we need to keep W < 2L ; see the next slide).

54
 6.3.3. General characteritics
Resonant Input Resistance
 The resonant input resistance is fairly independent of the
substrate thickness h unless h gets small (the variation is then
mainly due to dielectric and conductor loss).

 The resonant input resistance is proportional to r.

 The resonant input resistance is directly controlled by the location

of the feed point (maximum at edges x = 0 or x = L, zero at center
of patch). y

(x0, y0)
W

L L
55
x
 6.3.3. General characteritics
Radiation Efficiency
 Radiation efficiency is the ratio of power radiated into
space, to the total input power.

Pr
er 
Ptot

 The radiation efficiency is less than 100% due to

 Conductor loss
 Dielectric loss
 Surface-wave excitation*
56
*assuming the substrate is infinite
 6.3.3. General characteritics
Radiation pattern
y
E-plane: co-pol is E

L H-plane: co-pol is E
Js

W
x E plane

Probe

Note:
For radiation patterns, it is usually more convenient to
place the origin at the middle of the patch
H plane (this keeps the formulas as simple as possible).

57
 6.3.3. General characteritics
Radiation pattern
0 0

30 -30

-10 45 -10 -45

60 -20 -60 -20

-30 -30

-40 -30 -20 -10 -40 -30 -20 -10

90 -90 90 -90

120 240

135 225

150 210

180
Note: 180
The E-plane pattern “tucks in”
and tends to zero at the
horizon due to the presence of 58
the infinite substrate.
6.3.4. Circularly polarized patch antenna
Three main techniques:

1) Single feed with “nearly degenerate” eigenmodes (compact but

small CP bandwidth).

2) Dual feed with delay line or 90o hybrid phase shifter (broader CP
bandwidth but uses more space).

3) Synchronous subarray technique (produces high-quality CP

due to cancellation effect, but requires even more space).

The techniques will be illustrated with a rectangular patch.

59
6.3.4. Circularly polarized patch antenna

Single Feed Method

(0,1)
The feed is on the diagonal.
The patch is nearly
(but not exactly) square. W
(1,0)

L W
L

Basic principle: The two dominant modes (1,0) and (0,1) are
excited with equal amplitude, but with a 45o phase.
60
6.3.4. Circularly polarized patch antenna
Note: Diagonal modes are used as degenerate modes

y y

L L

x x
L L

Patch with slot Patch with truncated corners61

6.3.4. Circularly polarized patch antenna

Dual-Feed Method
y RHCP
Phase shift realized with delay line: L

P
L

P+g/4 62
6.3.4. Circularly polarized patch antenna
Phase shift realized with 90o quadrature hybrid (branchline coupler)

RHCP

Z0 Z0 / 2 Z0
Feed

g/4 Z0

50 Ohm load

g/4

This gives us a higher bandwidth than the simple

63
power divider, but requires a load resistor.
6.3.4. Circularly polarized patch antenna

Multiple elements are rotated in space and fed with phase shifts.

-180o

-90o

-270o

0o
Because of symmetry, radiation from higher-order modes (or
probes) tends to be reduced, resulting in good cross-pol.
64
 6.3.5. Multi-resonance antennas
Low-band

Low-band

Feed High-band Feed

Low-band

High-band

Dual-band E patch Dual-band patch with parasitic strip

65
6.3.5. Multi-resonance antennas

U-Shaped Slot Double U-Slot

E Patch

66
6.3.5. Multi-resonance antennas
Radiating Edges Gap Coupled Microstrip
Antennas (REGCOMA).

Non-Radiating Edges Gap Coupled

Microstrip Antennas (NEGCOMA)

Four-Edges Gap Coupled Microstrip

Antennas (FEGCOMA)

67
 6.3.6. Miniaturization

High Permittivity

r  1
r  4
Size reduction

W W  W / 2
(Same aspect ratio)

L  L / 2

68
 6.3.6. Miniaturization

Quarter-wave patch

Ez =0
Short-circuit vias
W W

L L  L / 2

69
 6.3.6. Miniaturization

Planar Inverted F (PIFA)

Feed
Top view
Shorting strip or
via

A single shorting strip or via is used.

70
 6.3.6. Miniaturization

Slotted Patch

Top view

0o 90o

Linear CP

The slot forces the current to flow through a longer path,

increasing the effective dimensions of the patch.
71
 6.3.6. Miniaturization

Meandering

Via

Feed

Feed Via

Meandered quarter-wave patch Meandered PIFA

 Meandering forces the current to flow through a longer path,

increasing the effective dimensions of the patch.

 Meandering also increases the capacitance of the PIFA line.

72
73
6.4. Slot Antennas

74
 6.4. Slot Antennas
Radiation pattern of slot
and dipole

75
 6.4. Slot Antennas
Dipole and slot

76
 6.4. Slot Antennas
Different slots

77
6.4. Slot Antennas

78
6.5. Array Antennas

79
6.5. Array Antennas

80
6.5.1 Slot Array antennas

81
6.5.2. Yagi-Uda Antennas

82
6.5.2. Yagi-Uda Antennas

83
6.5.2. Yagi-Uda Antennas

84
85
6.6. Reflector Antennas

86
6.6.1. Reflector Antennas

87
6.6.1. Reflector Antennas

88
6.6.1. Reflector Antennas

89
6.6.1. Reflector Antennas

90
6.6.1. Reflector Antennas

91
6.6.1. Reflector Antennas

92
6.6.1. Reflector Antennas

93
6.6.1. Reflector Antennas

94
6.6.1. Reflector Antennas

95
6.7.1. Reflector antenna

96
6.6.2. Reflectarray Antennas

97
6.7. Lens Antennas

98
6.7.1. Dielectric Lens Antennas

99
6.7.2. Transmitarray Antennas

100
6.7.2. Transmitarray Antennas

101
6.8. Monopole Antennas

102
6.8. Monopole Antennas

103
 Di
po 6.9. Crossed Dipole Antennas

4
le

?/
#2

1/4 wave
phasing
line
#1
e
ol
ip
D

x y

G. H. Brown, Electronics, 1936.

104
 6.9. Crossed Dipole Antennas

Zhang et al., IEEE Antennas Scappuzzo et al., IEEE Trans.

Wireless Propag. Lett., 2012. Antennas Propag., 2009.

Qu et al., IEEE Trans. Choi et al., IEEE Antennas 105

Antennas Propag., 2010. Wireless Propag. Lett., 2013.
 6.9. Crossed Dipole Antennas

JEES, 2013. Electronics Letters, 2012.

IEEE AP, 2013.