Numerical simulation of a UC-PBG lens for gain enhancement of microstrip antennas

• Published in: International journal of RF and microwave computer-aided engineering Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 676 - 684
• Main Authors: Elwi, Taha A., Al-Rizzo, Hussain M., Rucker, Daniel G., Song, Fei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.11.2009
• Subjects: Antennas; Computer simulation; directive antenna; Finite element method; Gain; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; microstrip antenna; Microstrip antennas; Microwaves; negative refractive index; photonic band-gap structure
• ISSN: 1096-4290; 1099-047X; 1099-047X
• DOI: 10.1002/mmce.20391

Because of their versatility and ease of fabrication, Uniplanar Compact–Photonic Band Gap (UC–PBG) structures have been recently applied to microstrip antenna design. However, when the PBG structure is embodied on the ground plane of a conventional microstrip antenna, the resulting configuration suffers from strong backward radiation and reduced efficiency. In this article, a combined UC–PBG/ antenna structure is proposed to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks. The performance characteristics of a microstrip antenna positioned below a UC–PBG are examined using CST and Ansoft commercial software packages, which are based on the Finite Integration Technique (FIT) and the Finite Element Method (FEM), respectively. The proposed antenna demonstrates a remarkable improvement in the bore‐sight gain, about 7.8 dBi at 2.64 GHz, compared with the corresponding conventional microstrip antenna and front‐to‐back ratio in excess of 22.8 dBi. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2009.