The broken-heart printed antenna for ultrawideband applications: Design and characteristics analysis

Abstract

A compact, slotted partial ground, broken-heart-shaped microstrip patch antenna intended for use in ultrawideband (UWB) applications is presented. The antenna is composed of a broken-heart-shaped patch and slotted partial ground plane. The antenna has an electrical dimension of 0.29λ × 0.17λ at the lowest operating frequency of 2.90 GHz. The finite element method (FEM)-based high-frequency structural simulator (HFSS) and the time-domain-method-based Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio simulator have been used to simulate the presented antenna. The antenna was measured after prototype fabrication. The antenna covers the bandwidth from 2.90 to 10.70 GHz. The maximum gain of the presented antenna is 5.3 dBi with a notable efficiency of 86.6%. The fidelity factor for faceto-face and side-by-side orientation of the antenna is ~79% and 80%, respectively. The impedance bandwidth of the presented antenna is wide enough to be used in UWB wireless communications as well as microwave imaging and UWB radar applications.