Design of Low-SAR and High On-Body Efficiency Tri-Band Smartwatch Antenna Utilizing the Theory of Characteristic Modes of Composite PEC-Lossy Dielectric Structures

A low specific absorption rate (SAR) and high on-body efficiency tri-band smartwatch antenna is designed utilizing the theory of characteristic modes (TCM) of composite perfect electric conductors and lossy dielectric structures. The antenna works in the GPS frequency band, WLAN 2.4 GHz/Bluetooth frequency band, and 5G frequency band. After analyzing the characteristic modes of the antenna and human body in the above three frequency bands, the characteristic modes with small modal coupling coefficients (MCCs) are selected and excited. Due to the small mutual coupling between the antenna and the human body, the proposed antenna has good performance on both SAR and on-body efficiency. Its measured 10 g average body SAR is lower than 1.3 W/kg. When it is placed 0 mm above the body, its on-body efficiency is 9.3%–9.88% in the GPS frequency band, 12%–14.2% in the WLAN 2.4 GHz/Bluetooth frequency band, and 17.3%–20.1% in the 5G frequency band.