Increasing the Bandwidth of Microstrip Patch Antenna by Loading Compact Artificial Magneto-Dielectrics

We realize artificial magneto-dielectric loading for microstrip patch antenna by etching embedded meander-line (EML) array in the ground plane under the patch. The related artificial magneto-dielectric medium belongs to the waveguided metamaterial proposed previously. Both simulation and measurement results show that the proposed patch antenna with the EML array has wider impedance bandwidth than the conventional patch antenna with the same size. Though we have to increase the antenna profile by attaching an additional shield metal plate to suppress the back radiation, the proposed magneto-dielectric loading method requires lower fabrication complexity and lower cost than the existing techniques.