A Wide Beamwidth and Wideband Magnetoelectric Dipole Antenna

In this paper, a wideband magnetoelectric (ME) dipole antenna with wide beamwidth both in the E-plane and H-plane is investigated. The proposed antenna, which is a differential one, has a simple structure and can realize wide beamwidth in the E-plane and H-plane in whole operating bandwidth. This antenna is easy to manufacture and low cost. The antenna consists of a pair of Gamma-shaped metal plates, a Gamma-shaped fed line, and six metal columns. The Gamma-shaped metal plates and metal columns change the current distribution which changes the radiation performance of the proposed antenna. Some parameters, which effect on the performances of the antenna, are studied. The proposed antenna achieves the impedance bandwidth (<=-10 dB) of about 81.1% (3.3-7.8 GHz). The half-power beamwidth (HPBW) of the proposed antenna is obviously broadened. The HPBW is 215 degrees in the E-plane and 186 degrees in the H-plane at 5.5 GHz. Besides, the cross polarization of the antenna is very low. The antenna is fabricated and measured to verify the design. The measured results are in good agreements with the simulated one. Good radiation characteristics of the new ME dipole antenna have been obtained in the whole frequency band.