Smaller UWB conformal antennas for VHF/UHF applications with ferrodielectric loadings

An alternative miniaturization technique is introduced, based on low-loss ferrite composites. The wave slow down for size reduction is provided by the permeability and permittivity of the ferrite composite, respectively. Ideally, the ferrite should possess equal permeability and permittivity (i.e. epsivpsila_r = mupsila_r) and must have low loss characteristics for large bandwidths. In this paper a miniaturized spiral antenna is presented using ferrite-polymer composites. The challenges of fabricating such a unique ferrite material will also be discussed.