Metamaterial-inspired antennas for telecommunication applications

In this contribution, we propose the design of a new switched beam antenna, based on metamaterial-inspired printed radiators. The radiators (i.e. electrically short monopoles) are placed vertically at the four corners of a grounded squared board and properly excited by the means of a dedicated switching network. The goal is to design an improved gain vertically polarized antenna for compact wireless modules in the 1600-2700 MHz frequency band, for use in areas with reduced signal coverage and/or high interference levels. The numerical design of the antenna as well as its actual implementation (fabrication and testing) are presented and discussed.