Flexible Impedance Matching in a Self-Diplexing Patch Antenna

Abstract

This study introduces a new approach to achieve flexible impedance matching in a self-diplexing conventional patch antenna by using paired vias for impedance bandwidth tunability. The antenna design incorporates a rectangular radiating patch, an orthogonal arrangement of a couple of paired vias, and a bottom ground plane. The patch is excited with the help of two orthogonal microstrip feeds aligned along the centerline of the broadside and narrow sides of the patch. The orthogonal vias set enables dynamic impedance matching in two frequency bands, lower and upper ranging from 2 to 3 GHz. Optimized via placement achieves high decoupling between input ports, facilitating the self-diplexing phenomenon. To validate the proposed concept, a prototype with patch dimensions of $49\times 40\times 1.57{\text{mm}}^3$ has been analyzed, fabricated, and subjected to comprehensive experimental study. The experimental results demonstrate the successful realization of two distinct operating frequency bands, centered around 2.47 and 2.66 GHz, each exhibiting peak gain values of 5.75 and 6.31 dBi, respectively. The input port isolation values are noteworthy, measuring at −34B and −29.5 dB for lower and upper operating frequency bands, respectively. The design offers a low-profile, minimally coupled structure with independent band control and the unique ability to simultaneously transmit and receive signals.