Design of Rectangular DRA for UWB Applications

Abstract

The world has seen difficulty in handling of huge size antennas with high maintenance cost. Dielectric Resonator Antenna (DRA) has some interesting characteristics that provide a solution from its characteristics like small size, high radiation efficiency, low losses, high power handling capacity, increased bandwidth and ease to integrate with existing technologies.
Here, a slotted rectangular type of DRA of Ultra-Wide band (UWB) applications is presented. The design combines advantage of small size DRA and thin planar monopole antenna. Antenna size is 15X33 mm2 with 5.08 mm thickness. The Dielectric Resonator is shaped to house excitation feed using microstrip line feed. Air gaps are introduced / enhanced between the line feed and ground to improve the bandwidth. Two slots of (1×1) mm2 dimensions are also introduced in the DR.
Proposed antenna results in a better return loss and is below -10 dB within range (3.3296 – 12.536) GHz and resonance frequency 4.811 GHz.The antenna is thin and compact which makes it easily portable. A maximum gain of 3.66 dB achieved at 4.811 GHz frequency. The VSWR parameter was found to be less than 2 within the operating frequency range. It can be used for WLAN, WiMax applications in the frequency range 5.2 to 5.8 GHz.