Compact Efficient Electrically Small Broadband Antennas

The objective of this proposal is to design and develop compact, efficient, electrically small, broadband antennas that are capable of handling high voltages of greater than 100 kV, and fit into small geometrical spaces of less than 40 mm in diameter and 50 mm in length. Previously insurmountable challenges to achieving the stringent requirements of simultaneous compact size, wider bandwidths, and high to moderate efficiencies are addressed by using a unique combination of metamaterials and design approaches. The designs are based on volumetric sources such as the Dielectric Resonator Antennas (DRAs) with bandwidths of 50% or better and with dimensions of better than 0.15Lambda, by employing layered magneto-dielectric metamaterials. A volumetric source, such as a DRA, as opposed to a printed planar or wire source, inherently provides higher bandwidths. DRAs, in addition, provide high power handling capability due to their high dielectric strengths, > 200 V/mil. Even though achieving a single antenna that covers the entire band of 20 MHz to 1 GHz is quite challenging, we believe that the wideband performance can be achieved with about 3 to 4 antennas, each covering a wide band of frequencies, in the HF to UHF bands.