Radiation patterns of a horizontal electric dipole in a four-layered region and applications for microstrip antennas

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe present work focuses on the radiation field excited by a horizontal electric dipole (HED) in a four-layered region composed of a perfect conductor covered with two dielectrics and the air above. Analytical expressions for the radiation field are derived for the case of both the source and the observation point being on or near the air-dielectric boundary. The propagation characteristics of the interference phenomenon are investigated. The radiation field components undergo sharp interference as the relative permittivities and dielectric layer thicknesses increase. When the observation angle , the trapped surface wave predominates in the total field. Otherwise, the total field is determined primarily by the lateral wave. Due to the useful applications for microstrip antennas, radiation patterns of a patch antenna with specific current distributions are investigated. Some special cases of interest are discussed. The proposed formulas offer the potential to develop planar four-layered circuit structures.