FRIG-20

Proceedings of Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference 2010

Circular Polarized Small Antenna based Metamaterial Coplanar

Waveguide (CPW) Transmission Line
Jaehyurk Choi #1, Sungjoon Lim #2
#

School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, College of Engineering

Chung-An? University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
2

jaehyurk@gmail.com
sungjoon@cau .ac . kr

Abstract
In this paper, a circular polarized small antenna
is proposed by way of a metamaterial coplarnar-waveguide
(CPW) transmission line (TL). The zeroth-order resonance of the
-

metamaterial TL is introduced to minimize the antenna size. Its

bandwidth is expanded due to the design flexibility of the CPW

I
FeeJ l i ne

configuration. The circular polarization (CP) is achieved by the

L-shaped stub whose current distribution is orthogonal to the
original current distribution from the zeroth-order resonance.
Details of the design procedure are described. The proposed
antenna's performance is demonstrated by numerical and
experimental results.

Index Terms

Circular polarization, metamaterial,

small

Gr und. p l ane

antenna, CPW antenna

I. INTRODUCTION

Fig. 1. Schematic configuration of the microstripline-fed CRLH based

Recently, metamaterial-based antennas such as zeroth-order

ZOR antenna with magnetic current densities.

resonant (ZOR) antennas and leaky-wave antennas have been

presented [1]-[3]. Especially, many researchers put their
efforts on developing ZOR antennas because the zeroth-order
property enables to design a small efficient resonant antenna.
The

circular

polarized

antennas

are

also gaining more

attention in recent years because they have good performance

in the multipath fading environment [4]. Until now, only few

studies of the circular polarized metamaterial antennas have
been

investigated

[5]-[6].

However,

they

have

some

drawbacks such as dual feed, via fabrication process, and 90

50-Q

coplanr wa"rguide

phase shifter.

-.1

}\ 1J :

1
1
1

Radiating, 101

In this paper, a novel circular polarized small antenna is

proposed. The proposed antenna design is based on the
metamaterial concept in order to reduce the antenna size.
Furthermore,

the

CPW

technology

is

applied

to

the

configuration of antenna. [7]. The CPW-fed metamaterial

structure has many advantages, such as a low profile, light
weight,

via-free

structure,

easy

integration,

and

wider

impedance bandwidth. For the ZOR antenna, one of the most

enhanced properties by using the CPW-fed structure instead
of adapting microstrip line structure is wider impedance

Fig. 2. Magnetic current densities of CPW-fed ZOR antenna.

bandwidth. However, its far-field propagation characteristic is

fundamentally linear polarization. In order to achieve a CP
radiation pattern, two orthogonal electric field vectors from
the antenna aperture must have equal amplitude and

90

degree phase difference. For the proposed antenna, these

requirements are accomplished by adjusting a geometrical

vector is generated on the antenna. It is orthogonal to the

primary vector which makes the linear polarized radiation
pattern. Thus, by optimizing geometrical parameters of the
stub, the requirements of the CP radiation pattern are satisfied.

topology of the antenna. By employing an L-shaped stub

between the patch and ground plane, another electric field

Copyright 2010 JEICE

2044

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Fig. 3. Configuration of the proposed slot antenna with circular

polarization.

Measured S11
Simulated S11

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. --"'---' -L
-'- '
--"_-L--'- .'--.
-'-

'-'

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

Frequency (GHz)
Fig. 4.
Simulated and measured reflection coefficients against
frequency for the array.
16 r-------,

II. THEORY AND ANTENNA DESIGN

12

The radiation field pattern from conventional microstrip

line (MSL)-fed ZOR antenna is determined by the magnetic
current densities along the perimeter of patch [I] as described

iii'

in Fig. l. From duality, an equivalent magnetic loop antenna

o
:;:;

is operates as an ideal electric dipole antenna. Thus, the

0':

MSL-fed ZOR antenna is polarized in the elevation-direction.

Similarly, for the CPW-fed ZOR antenna, the magnetic loop
current density

is generated as shown in Fig. 2; because the

I'CI

two unit cells, there are two equivalent magnetic loops.

the far-field radiation of the

<

picture describes a CPW-fed ZOR antenna which consists of

However,

CPW-fed ZOR

antenna is mainly due to the magnetic current vector (M!)

o -L
3.5
3.7
3.8
3.9
4
3.6

between the patch and matching stub. Other vectors such as

Frequency (GHz)

M2 and M4 are slightly effects on the far-field radiation.

Because the gap between the patch and ground plane is much
wider than that of between the patch and matching stub, the

Fig. 5. Simulated AR against frequency in the broadside direction.

magnitude of vector M2 as well as is small and ignorable.

The other vector (M3) is cancelled out at the far-field
(Fraunhofer) region due to the out-of-phase relation with the
vector (Ms) from the second unit cell. In conclusion, the
CPW-fed ZOR antenna is polarized in the y-direction.
As

mentioned

previously,

the

ZOR

antennas

have

inherently linear polarized (LP) radiation property. In order

to generate CP radiation, conventionally, the designer should
fabricate and connect an extra circuit such as 90 phase
shifter on the ZOR antennas. At the same time, the ZOR
antennas with CP radiation should be excited by two feeding
structure. As a result, the sizes of those antennas are

increased. Those large sizes of antenna is disadvantageous for

portable devices.
This paper proposes the novel small antenna with circular
polarized radiation pattern. For the small sized antenna, the
design of the proposed antenna is based on the composite
right/left-handed (CRLH) TL concept. Moreover, the CPW
technology is used for the enhanced bandwidth. The antenna
configuration is illustrated in Fig. 3. The antenna is based on
the CPW-fed CRLH metamaterial structure which consists of
meander lines, top patches, and bottom patch. Additionally,
in order to generate the circular polarized radiation pattern,
the L-shaped stub is applied to the given structure. Finally,

2045

field vectors should not only be existed, but also have phase

z
o

difference of 90 degree as well as same amplitude. In the

proposed geometry, the phases of two radiating vectors are
adjusted by modifying the length of L-shaped stub. After
investigation

of

characteristic

parameters

such

as input

impedance and axial ratio (AR) of the CP against varied L

shaped stub dimensions, the proposed small antenna based on
the CPW-fed metamaterial structure is optimally designed
and fabricated to exhibit its CP radiation pattern.

III. RESULTS
Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show the simulated and measured results
of the impedance bandwidth and CP bandwidth of the
proposed antenna. The simulated and measured impedance
bandwidths (lOdB reflection coefficient) are about 6.5% (3.7
- 3.95 GHz) and 4.8 % (3.735 - 3.92 GHz), respectively. The
simulated CP bandwidth (AR < 3dB at broadside direction)
of the antenna is about 6.1 % (3.645-3.876 GHz).

180

Fig. 6 shows the simulated radiation patterns at the 3.83

- Simlliated-Co

GHz plotted in the x-z and y-z planes. The obtained co

- - - - . Simlliated-Cross

polarization of the radiation pattern at 3.83 GHz is similar to

a planar monopole antenna. It is observed that the cross

(a)

polarization of the radiation pattern is large because of the

orthogonal magnetic current density between the L-shaped

stub and ground plane. Therefore, it proves that the CP

radiation property of the antenna occurs at the broadside

direction.

IV. CONCLUSION

-20

The circular polarized small antenna is proposed. The

configuration

-30

270

--r-

--

,_.

_
_
__

--

-40
+-

--

-30 .-do

----

of

antenna

is

based

on

the

CPW-fed

metamaterial structure in order to reduce the antenna size as

-10
--

------

190 X

--

well as improve its impedance bandwidth. Furthermore, to

generate the CP radiation pattern, the L-shaped stub is added
on the CPW-fed metamaterial structure. Since the L-shaped
stub enables antenna to generate two orthogonal field vectors,
proposed antenna have the CP radiation pattern without extra
circuits such as a 90 phase shifter. The proposed design was
simulated using a commercial 3D EM simulator. The result
shows

that

the

proposed

design

satisfies

CP

radiation

requirements at the broadside direction.

180

- Simulated-Co
- - - _ .

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Simulated-Cross

This work was supported by the IT R&D program of

MKEIKEIT. [KI002084, A Study on Mobile Communication

(b)

Systems for Next-Generation Vehicles with Internal Antenna

Fig. 6. Simulated radiation patterns of the antenna. (a) 3.83 GHz Y-Z
Plane. (b) 3.83 GHz X-Z Plane.

Array]

REFERENCES
the y-directional magnetic current occurs between the stub
and ground plane, while the x-directional magnetic current is

[1]

exist. However, for the CP radiation pattern, two orthogonal

2046

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

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Resonant

Antennas

for

RF

Module

Integration,"

IEEE

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