Annular-slot-Excited Dielectric Resonator Antenna with a Backing Cavity

K. K. So* and K. W. Leung

Wireless Communications Research Centre, Department of Electronic Engineering,
City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong
(* Tel: +852-2784-4 157, Fax: +852-2784-4712, email: kkso@ee.cityu.edu.hk)

Abstract
The annular-slot-fed dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) with a backing cavity is studied
theoretically and experimentally. The result involves neither singularity nor any numerical
integration and, therefore, is computationally very efficient. The input impedance, return loss
and radiation pattern of the antenna are presented.
I. Introduction
In 1983, Long and his collaborators [I] showed that the dielectric resonator can be used as an
efficient radiator, with inherent merits of its small size, low cost, low loss, and ease of
excitation. In this paper, the annular-slot-fed hemispherical dielectric resonator antenna (DRA)
excited by a coaxial cable with a backing cavity is studied. A coaxial cable is used to excite
the annular slot, which couples the energy to the DRA. The DRA is excited at the

fiindamental broadside TE, , mode [2-31. To block undesirable backside radiation, a metallic
backing cavity is placed beneath the annular slot.
In this paper, the mode matching method [4] is used in the analysis. Use is made of the
previous technique [5] that results in a computationally efficient solution. The result is simply
a regular series without any singularity, and therefore, the numerical implementation is very
straightforward. The calculated and measured results are compared and excellent agreement is
obtained.
11. Theory

Fig. 1 shows the geometry of the annular-slot-fed hemispherical DRA with a backing cavity.
The hemispherical DRA has radius a and dielectric constant

E",

whereas the cavity has

radius d. The annular slot has inner radius b, outer radius c, and width W = b - a. Employing
the moment method, we expand the magnetic current densities as M(@)=
where f,(4)are basis functions given by:

@7803-733@8/02$17.0002002IEEE

470

E:,"=,
v,fq(q5),

Employmg the Galerkin s procedure, the following matrix equation is obtained

where G, (U, Y), G, (F, 7) and G, (7, Y) are the If-field Green s functions of the DRA [2], of
the hemispherical cavity [4], and of the half space [2], respectively. In (3), Sois the slot surface.
Once the unknown coefficients V, are solved, the input impedance of the antenna can be
evaluated using:

Results
To verify the theory, an experiment was carried out using a hemispherical DRA of radius a =

12.5

and dielectric constant

outer radius of c

E,=

9.5. The annular slot has inner radius b

5.8mm, whereas the metallic backing cavity has radius d

4.8

25.

and
Fig. 2

shows the measured and calculated input impedances. Fig. 3 shows the retum losses. It is
observed that the calculated and measured resonant frequencies are 3.47 and 3.52GHz,
respectively, with error 1.3%. Fig. 4 illustrates the radiation field pattems at their respective
resonant frequencies. Reasonable agreement between theory and experiment is observed.
Acknowledgements
The work described in this paper was fully supported by a grant from the Research Grant
Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. CityU
1136/00E)
References
[I J S. A. Long, M. W. Mcallister, and L.C. Shen, The resonant cylindrical dielectric cavity
antenna, ZEEE Trans. Antennas Propagat., vol. 31, pp. 406-412, May 1983.

47 1

[2] K. W. Leung, K. M. Luk, K. Y. A. Lai, and D. Lin, Theory and experiment of an

aperture-coupled hemispherical dielectric resonator antenna, ZEEE Trans. Antennas
Propagat., vol. 43, pp. 1 192- 1 198, Nov. 1995.
[3] K. Y. Chow, K. W. Leung, K. M. Luk,and Edward K. N. Yung, Input Impedance of the
Slot-Fed Dielectric Resonator Antenna witWwithout a Backing Cavity, YEEE Trans.
Antennas Propgat., vol. 49, pp. 307-309, Feb. 2001.
[4] K. W. Leung, K. Y. Chow, Theory and experiment of the hemispherical cavitybacked
slot antenna, IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagat., vol. 46, pp. 1234-1241, Aug. 1998.
[5] K. W. Leung, Efficient and Accurate Computation of an Annular Slot on a Dielectric
Half-space, IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagat., vol. 48, pp. 467-468, Mar. 2000.

Hemispherical DRA
Coaxial cable

Ground plane

(b) Side view

(a) Top view

Fig. 1 Configuration

Input Impedance (52)

2.5

3.5

4.5

Frequency (GHz)
Fig. 2 Measured and calculated input impedances
of the annular-slot-fedhemispherical DRA

472

-40

'

2.5

3.5
4
Frequency (GHz)

4.5

Fig. 3 Measured and calculated retum losses

-40 -30 -20 -10

E-plane

H-plane

- - - - Experiment

Theory

Fig. 4 Measured and calculated radiation pattems

473