Wideband Symmetrical Cross-Shaped Probe Dual-Beam Microstrip Patch Antenna

A cross-shaped probe feeding technique is proposed to feed a wideband microstrip patch antenna to achieve two symmetrical beams by locating the feed at the center of the patch. This antenna produces two symmetrical beams off the broadside by exciting a higher-order TM02 mode. Two symmetrical beams are attained due to the symmetrical structure of the proposed antenna. Experimentally, the antenna operating frequency ranges from 5.10 to 5.82 GHz with VSWR less than 2, which exhibits a wide impedance bandwidth of 13.2%. The two beams are directed at 30.5° and - 30.5° with 8.78 and 8.87 dBi, respectively at 5.5 GHz. Finally, effects of the permittivity of the substrate on the direction of the two beams are studied.