A new electrically small TE mode dipole

When designing electrically small antennas from the perspective of comparing their performance to theoretical limits, engineers generally focus on the design of electric dipoles or TM mode radiators. These radiators can be designed to exhibit a well matched input impedance, high radiation efficiency and a quality factor that closely approaches the lower bound (the Chu limit). They also have the advantage of a straight-forward transition from the dipole to the monopole configuration for use over metallic ground planes or surfaces. Following our recent work in the design of small electric dipoles, we continue here with the design of a new, electrically small magnetic dipole or TE mode radiator. The new design is shown to exhibit a well matched impedance, high radiation efficiency and a reasonably low quality factor. We show that the quality factor of the TE mode radiator approaches the lower bound to within a ratio consistent with recent limits presented by Thal.