2017 Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium — Spring (PIERS), St Petersburg, Russia, 22–25 May

Dual-band Dual-polarized Hybrid Cylindrical Dielectric Resonator

Antenna for Wireless Applications
Anand Sharma, Gourab Das, and Ravi Kumar Gangwar
Department of Electronics Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines)
Dhanbad, Jharkhand 826004, India

Abstract— This article presents design and analysis of dual-band dual-polarized hybrid dielec-
tric resonator antenna for WLAN/WiMAX applications. Four important features of proposed
article are: (i) Hexagon shaped aperture is act as radiator and feeding structure for cylindrical
DRA (CDRA); (ii) dual hybrid radiating modes (HEM11δ and HEM12δ mode) are generated in
CDRA with broadsided radiation characteristics; (iii) circular polarization (CP) characteristic in
upper frequency band is formed by stuffing quarter annular line with straight microstrip line; (iv)
sense of polarization of CP wave can be controlled by changing the position of quarter annular
line. The parametric analysis of proposed antenna design has been carried out on HFSS EM
simulator. The optimized results are verified by CST-MWS. The proposed antenna design is
operating over two frequency ranges, i.e., 2.58–2.96 GHz and 4.83–5.93 GHz with the fractional
bandwidth 13.71% and 20.44% respectively. 3-dB axial ratio bandwidth is approximately 8.09 %
(4.83–5.35 GHz) in upper frequency band.

1. INTRODUCTION
Recent world of wireless communication requires an antenna with high radiation efficiency, low pro-
file, low cost and high gain. Dielectric resonator antenna is the one that has all the aforementioned
qualities [1]. Dielectric resonators are available in commercial market with different shapes and
sizes. Cylindrical shape is the most favorable because of two reasons: (i) two degree of freedom can
help in control the quality factor; (ii) three different types of mode (TEmnp , TMmnp , HEMmnp ) are
useful for getting diversified far-field patterns. S. A. Long with his research team studied first time
in 1982 about the fundamental radiating mode in CDRA [2].
In modern day technology, antenna engineers are widely focused on multiband along with dual
polarized characteristics in an antenna. It is because of the three important reasons: (i) single
antenna can work for different wireless applications; (ii) receiver and transmitter become orientation
insensitive; (iii) reduce the multipath fading [3]. Different types of research work has been done
in this field such as grooving and trimming of rectangular shaped DRA, hybrid cylindrical DRA,
probe coupled half elliptical ring shaped DRA [4–6].
In this article, a dual-band dual-polarized hybrid cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna (CDRA)
is investigated. Hexagon shaped aperture is used to excite two radiating hybrid modes (HEM11δ
and HEM12δ mode) in CDRA and also act as a radiator. The proposed radiator has linear polar-
ized characteristics in 2.5 GHz frequency band while 5.5 GHz frequency band is the combination
of circular and linear polarizations. A circular polarization (CP) feature in upper frequency band
is created by stuffing quarter annular line with straight microstrip line. The proposed radiating
structure is appropriate for WiMAX (2.5 GHz) and WLAN (5.0 GHz) applications. The proposed
article is organized in the following manner: proposed radiating structure and its analysis is ex-
plained in Section-2 and Section-3 respectively. Final results and inference is given in Sections-4
and 5 respectively.

2. ANTENNA STRUCTURE
Figure 1 shows the graphical layout of proposed radiator. Hexagon shaped aperture has been
etched over copper made ground surface of FR4 substrate (εr,sub = 4.4, tan δ = 0.02). Alumina
made cylindrical DRA (εr,CDRA = 9.8, tan δ = 0.002) is fixed over hexagon shaped aperture.
Table 1 displays the different dimensions of proposed radiator parameter.

3. ANTENNA ANALYSIS
Analysis of proposed antenna structure has been carried out using HFSS EM simulator. This
section is divided into two parts: (i) Creation of dual band; (ii) creation of CP wave.

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(a) (b)

Figure 1. Layout of antenna structure. (a) Feeding mechanism. (b) 3D view.

Table 1. Dimensions of different antenna parameters.

Dimension Dimension
Symbol Symbol
(mm) (mm)
L=W 50.0 WF 2.7
HS 1.6 LF 24.0
LS 12.8 LA 19.8
H 13.0 D 26.0

3.1. Creation of Dual Band

Figure 2 displays the reflection coefficient variation with four different cases: (i) square shaped
aperture loaded cylindrical DRA without quarter annular line; (ii) hexagon shaped aperture loaded
cylindrical DRA without quarter annular line; (iii) hexagon shaped aperture without cylindrical
DRA with quarter annular line; (iv) hexagon shaped aperture loaded cylindrical DRA with quarter
annular line. From Fig. 2, it is perceived that the resonant peak at 2.6 GHz and 5.5 GHz is due
to the cylindrical DRA while the resonant peak at 4.9 GHz. In case of square shaped aperture,
only HEM11δ mode is generated. It is quite obvious because aperture always behave as a magnetic
dipole. As we convert square shaped aperture into hexagon shaped aperture, one more resonant
peak occur due to HEM12δ mode. It is due to the extension of aperture towards y-polarized line.
Fig. 2 also depicts that loading of quarter annular line with simple Microstrip line does not affect
the reflection coefficient value of proposed antenna. Fig. 3 displays the E-field distribution on
cylindrical DRA at 2.6 GHz and 5.5 GHz respectively. From Fig. 3, it can be perceived that HE11δ
and HE12δ mode is generated in cylindrical DRA at 2.6 GHz and 5.5 GHz respectively [7].

(a) (b)

Figure 3. E-field distribution on CDRA at (a) 2.6 GHz, (b)

Figure 2. Reflection coefficient variation 5.5 GHz.
of proposed antenna with different shapes
of aperture.

3.2. Creation of CP Wave

In order to create CP wave in any antenna, two important conditions must be fulfilled: (i) presence
of two orthogonal modes; (ii) phase shift between these orthogonal modes must be 90◦ [8]. Fig. 4
shows axial ratio variation of proposed radiator with two different cases: (i) hexagon aperture
loaded CDRA without quarter annular Microstrip line; (ii) hexagon aperture loaded CDRA with

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different dimension of quarter annular Microstrip line. Fig. 4 depicts that when length of quarter
annular stub becomes 19.8 mm. Hexagon shaped aperture behaves as a magnetic dipole while
Microstrip line behaves as an electric dipole. Quarter annular stub creates 90◦ phase shift between
two orthogonal components. This is the reason of the generation of CP wave.

Figure 4. Axial ratio variation with and without annular microstrip line in proposed antenna.

3.3. Sense of Polarization

Figure 5 displays LHCP/RHCP pattern at 5.15 GHz with two different cases: (i) proposed radiator;
(ii) replica of proposed radiator. It can be concluded from Fig. 5 that clockwise rotation of field
of proposed radiator is converted into anti-clockwise, when we take the mirror image of proposed
radiator. Therefore, sense of polarization can be controlled by taking mirror image of the antenna
structure.

(a) (b)

Figure 5. LHCP/RHCP pattern at 5.15 GHz (a) proposed antenna, (b) replica of proposed antenna.

4. FINAL RESULTS
In order to validate the HFSS results, proposed radiator is also simulate on the other EM simulation
platform, i.e., CST Microwave Studio. Fig. 6 shows reflection coefficient variation of proposed
antenna with HFSS and CST both. Good agreement is to be got between HFSS and CST Microwave
Studio. The proposed antenna design is operating over two frequency ranges, i.e., 2.58–2.96 GHz
and 4.83–5.93 GHz.
Figure 7 shows axial ratio variation of proposed antenna with HFSS and CST towards the
broadside direction (θ = 0◦ ; ϕ = 0◦ ). Good agreement is to be found between HFSS and CST
outcomes. 3-dB axial ratio bandwidth is approximately 8.09% (4.83–5.35 GHz).
Figures 8(a) and 8(b) displays the Far-field pattern in both the principal planes (E-plane and
H-plane) at 2.6 GHz and 5.5 GHz respectively. Fig. 8(c) shows LHCP/RHCP pattern at 5.15 GHz.
There is good co-pol to cross-pol difference at both 2.6 GHz and 5.5 GHz. The proposed antenna
shows LHCP pattern at 5.15 GHz (LHCP is approx. 20 dB greater than RHCP).
Figure 9 shows gain variation of proposed antenna with HFSS and CST towards the broadside
direction (θ = 0◦ ; ϕ = 0◦ ). From Fig. 9, it is observed that the value of gain is lower where hexagon
shaped aperture resonates while larger in the region where CDRA resonates. The reason is quite
obvious, i.e., lower ohmic losses.

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Figure 6. Reflection coefficient variation of proposed

antenna with CST and HFSS. Figure 7. Axial Ratio variation of proposed antenna
with CST and HFSS (θ = 0◦ ; ϕ = 0◦ ).

(a) (b) (c)

Figure 8. Far-field Pattern at (a) 2.6 GHz, (b) 5.5 GHz, (c) 5.15 GHz.

Figure 9. Gain variation of proposed antenna with CST and HFSS (θ = 0◦ ; ϕ = 0◦ ).

5. CONCLUSION
This communication investigates a dual-band dual polarized hybrid antenna for different wireless
applications. Dual radiating mode (HEM11δ and HEM12δ mode) is created in the CDRA due to
the use of hexagon shaped aperture excitation. Circularly Polarized wave is generated due to
the loading of annular line. All these features of proposed antenna structure make it suitable for
WiMAX (2.5/5.5 GHz) and WLAN (2.4/5.2/5.8 GHz) applications.
REFERENCES
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