Conformal Bent Dielectric Resonator Antennas With Curving Ground Plane

In this communication, conformal concave and convex bent dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs) with the curving ground plane are proposed and investigated. Their resonant frequencies and field distributions are theoretically analyzed through the eigenmode method and single-mode approximation with approximate models containing various boundary conditions. This method shows good accuracy for both concave and convex bent DRAs. Then, the radiation performance of bent DRAs is studied and compared with that of rectangular DRAs and bent microstrip patch antennas. Bent DRAs exhibit superior or flexible performance in terms of bandwidth, gain, and beamwidth. Finally, a prototype is fabricated and measured to validate the research. This communication paves the way for DRAs to the area of conformal, flexible, and wearable antennas.