A Dual-Band Metamaterial Antenna

Abstract

Metamaterials have a wide variety of potential applications in areas such as optics, acoustics and RF design. Split-Ring Resonators (SRR) are fundamental sub-wavelength structures found in metamaterial design. An adaptation of these SRR’s known as Anisotropic Ring Resonators (ARR) is used in this application. When used in antenna design, these sub-wavelength metamaterial structures may exhibit features not found among conventional antenna geometries. Through the combination of various forms of these structures, different applications such as wide-banding, gain maximization and anti-radar performance can be achieved. An in depth investigation was performed on a metamaterial disc antenna design to examine the potential benefits of these sub-wavelength components in the wide-banding of patch antennas (a.k.a. planar antennas). Several methods in antenna wide-banding such as the use of thicker substrates and edge-coupled patches are employed in conjunction with the ARR and monopole disc antenna to increase the effective reception frequency range from 6.3 GHz to nearly 9.4 GHz through dual band performance. The two-dimensional antenna is simulated on an FR-4 substrate and has a single side of copper cladding 18um thick (1/2 oz.). Modeling and simulation of the antenna were performed using finite-element method in High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) and Agilent Advanced Design System (ADS).