Highly Compact and High Gain 2 x 2 Patch Array Antenna with Slotted Meanderline Loading

This paper presents a highly compact and high gain patch array antenna for Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) applications at 3.5 GHz. The meander line (ML) is etched on each patch and placed diagonally on top of the patch antenna, resulting in a large current density near the ML slot lines. The proposed antenna design offers advantages through the characteristic of these current flows: a significant size reduction of a 2 x 2 patch antenna, where the gap between neighboring patches is 2 mm (0.023 of free space wavelength), the smallest among reported, and a very high gain of 5.67 dB. The inserted meander slot structure, which increases the electrical length of the resonance circuit, contributes to a 51% reduction in the total area of the patch array antenna. The simulation exhibit that the proposed antenna has excellent antenna performance, and thus it is expected to be useful for multiple compact wireless RF systems.