Single-Side Fixed Magnetoelectric Antenna Design for High-Bitrate LF Wireless Communication

Resonant mechanical antennas based on magnetoelectric (ME) materials are an important type of mechanical antenna. They do not rely on motors during operation and modulation. They have multiple advantages, such as small size, high efficiency, and easiness to modulate, making it possible to address the problems of conventional low-frequency (LF) antennas: over-large size and excessive power consumption. This work proposes a type of single-side fixed mechanical antenna based on ME materials. We first perform a theoretical derivation and simulation verification for this design, then develop a prototype based on Metglas (Fe-based amorphous alloy) and PZT (lead zirconate titanate), and finally establish a test platform for testing and verification. Results show that single-side fixed ME antennas exhibit significantly reduced antenna resonance frequency and transmit magnetic signals in VLF (very low frequency 3–30 kHz) bands, facilitating propagation in lossy media. Last but not least, this type of antenna can also significantly improve signal strength, achieving high-bitrate (600 bit/s) image communication.