Frequency Reconfigurable Low-Profile UWB Magneto-Electric Dipole in VHF Band

Reducing the size of directive and wideband antennas operating in the Very High-Frequency band is a major challenge for small satellite integration. At 100 MHz, the wavelength is 3 m, and the size reduction will make the integration easier and reduces fabrication costs. The original technique presented in this paper enables a significant height reduction (up to 50%) of a crossed Magneto-Electric Dipole antenna while maintaining an ultra-wideband operation bandwidth from 93 to 360 MHz (118%). The proposed technique is based on adding frequency reconfigurable capability to a crossed Magneto-Electric Dipole antenna structure. The antenna has been prototyped and experimentally characterized in a large-sized anechoic chamber. The measured results are in excellent agreement with full-wave electromagnetic simulated results.