A reconfigurable cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna for WiMAX/WLAN applications

The main objective of the present study is to achieve the reconfigurability of a cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna (CDRA). The CDRA is excited with two different modes; the HEM_11δ mode is excited via an aperture etched on the ground under the center of the CDRA, where the TM_01δ mode is excited from an etched slot under the side of the CDRA, the reconfigurability is realized using two PIN diodes. Two different cases of PIN diode (D1-ON/D2-OFF and vice versa) are investigated and analyzed. The proposed cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna (CDRA) can provides two bands around 3.77 GHz and 5.5 GHz with a reflection coefficient below than -10dB which is appropriate for WiMAX and WLAN applications, respectively. The antenna gain is stable in the two bands 3.77GHz/5.5GHz with 3.8 dBi and 4.43dBi, respectively. The simulation is performed using two simulators; the CST Microwave Studio and the HFSS Ansoft package.

I. Introduction

The achievement of cellular communication (2G) services stimulates the growth of wideband third-generation (3G) cellular phones and other wireless products and services, including WLAN, LTE, home RF, Bluetooth, and WiMAX. [1]. Furthermore, for safety and portability reasons, low power, reconfigurable antennas are highly preferable due to their applications in wireless communications. Over the conventional antennas, the reconfigurable antennas offer the possibility of modifying dynamically and adjust several antenna parameters such as the switching between different modes [2], operating frequency [3]–[4] and radiation pattern beem-steering [5] … etc. These reconfigurable techniques led to improve the spectral efficiencies of the transmission channel [6].