Enhanced-Gain Microstrip Antenna Using Engineered Magnetic Superstrates

This letter presents a novel engineered magnetic superstrate designed to enhance the gain and efficiency of a microstrip patch antenna without any substantial increase in the profile of the whole structure ( the antenna with the superstrate). The modified split ring resonator (MSRR) inclusions are used in the design of the engineered magnetic superstrate. Numerical full-wave simulations as well as analytical models are used to analyze the entire radiating system. Considering as an example a microstrip antenna operating within the UMTS band, the broadside gain of the antenna was improved by 3.4 dB and the efficiency was improved by 17% when using the engineered superstrate. The total height of the proposed structure, antenna with superstrate, is lambda(0)/7, where lambda(0) is the free-space wavelength at the resonance frequency of the antenna.