Ultrawideband Low-Profile and Miniaturized Spoof Plasmonic
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applied sciences Article Ultrawideband Low-Profile and Miniaturized Spoof Plasmonic Vivaldi Antenna for Base Station Li Hui Dai 1, Chong Tan 2 and Yong Jin Zhou 1,* 1 Key Laboratory of Specialty Fiber Optics and Optical Access Networks, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; [email protected] 2 Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 23 February 2020; Accepted: 31 March 2020; Published: 2 April 2020 Abstract: Stable radiation pattern, high gain, and miniaturization are necessary for the ultra-wideband antennas in the 2G/3G/4G/5G base station applications. Here, an ultrawideband and miniaturized spoof plasmonic antipodal Vivaldi antenna (AVA) is proposed, which is composed of the AVA and the loaded periodic grooves. The designed operating frequency band is from 1.8 GHz to 6 GHz, and the average gain is 7.24 dBi. Furthermore, the measured results show that the radiation patterns of the plasmonic AVA are stable. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulation results. Keywords: vivaldi antenna; miniaturized; high gain; surface plasmons; ultrawideband 1. Introduction The fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems have found various applications, such as autonomous driving [1], telemedicine [2], and virtual reality [3]. Considering radio wave propagation and available bandwidth, the bands between 3 and 5 GHz have been allocated for 5G services in many regions, such as 3.4–3.8 GHz in Europe, 3.7–4.2 GHz in the USA, and 3.3–3.6 and 4.8–4.99 GHz in China [4]. Hence, in the 2G/3G/4G/5G base station applications, the wide bandwidth covers the 2G, 3G, and 4G bands (1.7–2.7 GHz) and the new sub-6 GHz 5G frequency bands. It is urgent to investigate and design ultra-wideband antennas to cover the aforementioned bands and maintain good impedance matching within the entire frequency bands of interest, with a stable half-power bandwidth (HPBW) and a smaller structure. Crossed dipole antennas are widely used in wireless communication systems due to their advantages of wide bandwidth, stable radiation patterns, and ease of fabrication [5]. Various crossed dipoles were utilized to achieve a wide impedance bandwidth, such as magnetoelectric dipole antennas [6], bow-tie dipole [7], fan-shaped dipole [8], octagonal loop dipole [9], and double-loop dipole [10]. For most of them, the wide impedance bandwidth only covers 2G/3G/4G bands. Furthermore, the antenna profile is not low due to the necessary broadband feeding part. The microstrip antennas have advantages of low profile, light weight, and ease of conformability. However, their impedance bandwidth and isolation are not good enough. Some attractive techniques have been proposed to broaden the impedance bandwidth by using parasitic patches [11], loading H-slot [12] and U-slot [13], using a multiresonant structure [14], and using a fractal structure [15]. Although the shorted-dipoles printed antenna fed by integrated baluns [16] and the dual-band folded dipole antenna [17] cover 2G/3G/4G/5G frequency band, the gain and radiation pattern of these antennas are unstable over the operating frequency band. Another typical ultra-wideband antenna is based on tapered slot technique. As one of the most typical types, Vivaldi antenna was firstly introduced in [18] and has found many applications [19,20]. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 2429; doi:10.3390/app10072429 www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 9 Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 2429 2 of 9 Another typical ultra-wideband antenna is based on tapered slot technique. As one of the most typical types, Vivaldi antenna was firstly introduced in [18] and has found many applications However,[19,20]. However, its sizeis its still size large. is still Surface large. plasmons Surface (SPs)plasmons are collective (SPs) are electron–photon collective electron oscillations–photon confinedoscillations to confined the metal to surface, the metal which surface, are characterizedwhich are characterized by subwavelength by subwavelength confinement confinement and field enhancementand field enhancement in optical spectrumin optical [21 spectrum]. Spoof SPs[21]. could Spoof be SPs obtained could by be constructing obtained by periodic constructing metal surfacesperiodic tometal get the surfaces characteristics to get the of SPscharacteristics in the microwave of SPs frequenciesin the microwave [22,23]. frequenc They haveies been [22,23 explored]. They inhave many been antenna explored applications in many antenna such as holo-graphicapplications such antenna as holo [24,25-gr],aphic metasurface antenna planar [24,25], lenses metasurface [26,27], andplanar metasurface lenses [26 superstrate,27], and metasurface [28,29]. It has superstrate been shown [28 that,29 by]. loadingIt has been plasmonic shown metamaterials, that by loading the antennaplasmonic can metamaterials, be efficiently miniaturizedthe antenna can [30 ].be efficiently miniaturized [30]. Here,Here, byby loadingloading plasmonicplasmonic metamaterials, a modif modifiedied antipodal Vivaldi antenna (AVA) isis designeddesigned andand measured, measured which, which is composedis composed of the ofAVA the andAVA the and loaded the periodicloaded slots.periodic The slots designed. The operatingdesigned operating frequency frequency is from 1.8 is GHz from to 1.8 6 GHz,GHz whichto 6 GHz covers, which 2G/ 3Gcovers/4G/5G 2G/3G/4G/5G frequency band. frequency The simulatedband. The resultssimulated and measuredresults and results measured agree re well.sults It agree shows well. that It the shows radiation that patternthe radiation of the plasmonicpattern of AVAthe plasmonic is stable and AVA the is average stable and gain the is 7.24average dBi overgain is the 7.24 operating dBi over frequency the operating band. frequency band. 2.2. Methods and Principles TheThe typicaltypical monopolemonopole antenna antenna and and the the plasmonic plasmonic monopole monopole antenna antenna are are illustrated illustrated in Figurein Figure1a. Usually,1a. Usually the, plasmonicthe plasmonic monopole monopole antenna antenna is composed is composed of the of corrugated the corrugated monopole monopole antenna antenna with grooveswith grooves along along the metal the metal wire. wire. Here, Here we use, we meanderuse meander wires wires to simulate to simulate the etheffects effects of the of groovesthe grooves for simplicity.for simplicity The. dispersionThe dispersion relations relations of both o antennasf both antennas are calculated are calculated and plotted and in plotted Figure 1inb. WhenFigure the1b. grooveWhen the depth grooveb is 0depth mm, itb is is 0 the mm, typical it is the monopole typical antenna.monopole From antenna. Figure From1b, it Figure can be 1b seen, it can that be when seen thethat groove when depththe groove is increased depth (fromis increased 0 mm to(from 3.6 mm), 0 mm the to corresponding 3.6 mm), the asymptoticcorresponding frequencies asymptotic are decreasedfrequencies and are the decreased dispersion and curves the dispersion are lowered. curves It canare lower be concludeded. It can that be concluded when the wavethat when vector theβ iswave fixed, vector the operating β is fixed, frequency the operating is lower frequency for the plasmonicis lower for monopole the plasmonic antenna monopole with deeper antenna grooves. with Hence,deeper thegrooves electrical. Hence, size ofthe the electrical plasmonic size monopole of the plasmonic antenna would monopole be smaller, antenna compared would withbe smaller, that of thecompar traditionaled with monopole that of the antenna. traditional monopole antenna. FigureFigure 1.1. ((aa)) The The typical typical and and plasmonic plasmonic monopole monopole antenna. antenna The. T dimensionshe dimension of thes of antennas:the antennah =s25: h mm= 25, amm,= 0.65 a = mm,0.65 bmm,= 1.4 b = mm, 1.4 mm, and rand= 0.5 r = mm. 0.5 mm. (b) The (b) The dispersion dispersion relations relations of both of both antennas. antennas. TheThe eefficienciesfficiencies ofof the the typical typical and and plasmonic plasmonic monopole monopole antennas antennas are are calculated calculated and and illustrated illustrated in Figurein Figure2. Figure 2. Figure2b shows 2b shows the e ffitheciencies efficiencies of the of plasmonic the plasmonic monopole monopole antenna antenna with di ffwitherent different groove depthsgroove fromdepths 1 mm from to 1 4 mm mm. to From 4 mm Figure. From2b, Figure it can be2b, seen it can that be the seen operating that the frequenciesoperating frequencies red-shifts (correspondingred-shifts (corresponding to longer wavelengths) to longer wavelengths) when the groove when depththe groove is increased depth foris increase the fixedd heightfor the of fixed the monopoleheight of the antenna monopole (25 mm). antenna Especially, (25 mm) the. Especially, efficiency curvesthe efficiency corresponding curves corresponding to three typical to groove three depthstypical aregroove plotted depths in Figure are 2plottedc. It can in be Figure clearly 2c observed. It can be that clearly the central observed operating that the frequency central red-shiftsoperating whenfrequency the groovered-shifts depth whenb is the 0 mmgroove (typical depth monopole b is 0 mm antenna),(typical monopole 1.4 mm, andantenna) 3.6 mm,, 1.4 respectively.mm, and 3.6 Meanwhile,mm, respectively. we can Meanwhile, observe that we there can is observe an optimized that there efficiency is an whenoptimized tuning efficiency the groove when depth. tuning Hence, the itgroove indicates depth. that Hence, the plasmonic it indicates theory that providesthe plasmonic a scheme theory for provides miniaturization a scheme and for optimizationminiaturization of theand antenna. optimization of the antenna. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 9 Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 2429 3 of 9 Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 9 Figure 2. (a) The efficiencies of the typical monopole antenna with different lengths (h); (b) the efficiencies of the plasmonic monopole antenna with different groove depths (h = 25 mm); and (c) the Figure 2.