A frequency reconfigurable dielectric resonator antenna using controllable air gaps

A new frequency reconfiguration technique for the dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) using controllable air gaps under the resonator, is presented. This method provides an alternative to previous DRA tuning techniques, which tend to be bulky or lossy. The fabricated prototype had measured operating frequencies at 21.4 GHz and 16.7 GHz, a tuning range of 24.7%, which can be selected by positioning metalized dielectric slugs away or beneath the DRA respectively.