Broadband Antenna Employing Simplified MTLs for WLAN/WiMAX Applications

A broadband electrically small antenna (ESA) based on simplified metamaterial transmission lines (SMTLs) is proposed in this letter. The antenna consists of two different-sized SMTL unit cells of different resonance frequencies. A dispersion analysis of the SMTL reveals that an increase in series of the interdigital capacitance would decrease the +1st-order mode resonance frequency, thus reducing the electrical size of the proposed antenna. A matching wideband antenna is enabled when the two resonance frequencies suitably merge. A fabricated prototype for WLAN/WiMAX applications has been designed and presented. The prototype measurements are 49.6% for bandwidth (10 dB) and 96.5% for radiation efficiency. Simulation and experimental results are used to verify the theoretical prediction.