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Analysis and design of a partitioned circular loop antenna for omni-directional

radiation

Article · July 2011

DOI: 10.1109/APS.2011.5996548

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 Analysis and Design of a Partitioned Circular Loop
Antenna for Omni-directional Radiation

R. Hasse*, W. Hunsicker, and K. Naishadham A.Z. Elseherbeni and D. Kajfez

Georgia Tech Research Institute Department of Electrical Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology The University of Mississippi
Atlanta, Georgia, 30332 University, Mississippi 38677

Abstract -A novel printed antenna configured with perimeter is of the order of one wavelength or larger,
circular loop geometry of approximately one wavelength the radiation efficiency is degraded because the current
perimeter is designed for operation at 5.8 GHz with near in the loop undergoes large phase variations [3]. This
omni-directional radiation pattern. The loop is results in an inefficient radiator, as well as a shift of the
partitioned into multiple segments and loaded with direction of maximum radiation from the plane of the
capacitive elements at selected locations so as to decrease loop to a plane that is normal to the loop, which may be
phase variations in the current flow and thereby increase undesirable for the intended wireless application.
the radiation efficiency. A total of five capacitors are used
to achieve stable current flow, resulting in phase
variations of < 12q. The performance of the loop antenna It has been shown previously for square loop
is first analyzed as a transmitter in free space using a geometry [4] that the phase variations of the current can
method of moments (MoM) solver for thin-wire be minimized by partitioning the loop into smaller
structures, and then validated using 3-D finite element segments and inserting lumped capacitors in series
method (FEM) and MoM solvers. The simulated arrangement to achieve omni-directional radiation. This
radiation pattern for the thin-wire model in the plane of paper presents the design and analysis of a partitioned
the loop is close to omni-directional with directive gain of circular loop antenna of nearly one wavelength in
1.46 dBi. A printed circuit antenna model is then designed circumference and its simulated performance. The
with alternating top- and bottom-layer conductors of
dimensions of a thin-wire antenna model are converted
annular geometry on a thin substrate, with regions of
conductor overlap functioning as physical capacitors.
to an equivalent printed model with overlapping
Simulations of the printed antenna demonstrate omni- conductors of annular geometry on a low-loss dielectric
directional radiation in the azimuthal plane, with peak substrate. The design procedure for the wire and printed
directive gain of 1.66 dBi, peak directivity of 1.69 dB, antennas is discussed, and simulation results using
radiation efficiency of 0.98, and input impedance close to method of moments (MoM) and finite element method
50 :. Performance measurement data for a fabricated (FEM) software packages are presented. Measurements
printed circular loop antenna (in process) will be shown of the antenna’s return loss and far-field radiation
during presentation for comparison and validation. patterns will be shown during the presentation to
compare the performance of the printed partitioned
Keywords-Loop antenna; partitioned; omni-directional; circular loop antenna with the simulation results for
current; phase variations validation purposes.

I. INTRODUCTION II. WIRE LOOP ANTENNA MODEL

The historical popularity of the loop antenna with A thin-wire circular loop antenna of radius r = 7.0
microwave and radiofrequency (RF) engineers is mm and circumference C # 44.0 mm (0.85O0) was
demonstrated by its omnipresent representation in the designed for operation at 5.8 GHz and analyzed using
literature [1]-[2], and this popularity is due primarily to the MoM software package Analysis of Wire Antennas
its simplicity of design and fabrication, ease of and Scatterers (AWAS) [5]. The loop was centered in
integration in front-end transceivers for wireless the xy-plane at z = 0 and modeled with copper wire
communication systems, and low cost of manufacture. segments of radius a = 0.5 mm. A total of 24 nodes
However, its performance in comparison to other types defining 24 wire segments comprise the antenna
of antennas is deficient with respect to such parameters geometry, as shown in Fig. 1. Nodes were spaced every
as gain, bandwidth, impedance, and radiation pattern. 15q for achieving a smooth circular symmetry and the
One well- known problem occurs when the perimeter insertion of series lumped capacitors at selected
of a loop antenna is small with respect to the locations. The wire segments have arc lengths of s =
wavelength, where the minute radiation resistance 1.83 mm and a corresponding aspect ratio of s/a # 3.7.
becomes impractical for matching to a 50 ohm A voltage generator of 1.0 V was fixed at node 1 (port
transmission line. Alternatively, when the loop 1) with a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms.

978-1-4244-9561-0/11/$26.00 ©2011 IEEE 1379 AP-S/URSI 2011

Figure 1. Thin wire model of partitioned circular loop antenna with wire nodes
(red) and lumped series ports (green) indicated.
Figure 3. Simulated current magnitude and phase on thin wire circular loop
antenna with (solid) and without (dashed) lumped capacitors (5.8 GHz).
Five capacitive elements were inserted at the following
node locations to cancel out the net inductance of the wire
loop: 0.086 pF (nodes 4 and 22), 0.042 pF (nodes 10 and 16), The simulated far-field radiation patterns demonstrate omni-
and 0.047 pF (node 13). The antenna was simulated in directionality in the xy-plane, as shown in Fig. 4. The cross-
transmission mode in free space from 1 to 10 GHz, resulting in polarization components are negligible due to the symmetry of
an input impedance of 49.3 – j 0.05 :, a corresponding input the wire loop and therefore are not shown. The maximum
admittance of 20.3 + j 0.02 mS, and a return loss of 43.4 dB at directive gain is calculated as 1.46 dBi at 5.8 GHz
5.8 GHz, as shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 2. Simulated return loss and input admittance for the thin wire
partitioned circular loop antenna (5.8 GHz).

The simulated current magnitude and phase on the thin wire

loop antenna, with and without lumped capacitors, are plotted
in Fig. 3. The total phase shift with capacitive loading is on the
order of 12q, which indicates good stability of the current phase
over the entire length of the loop. The net phase shift in the
current around the circular loop is equivalent to that found for
the partitioned square loop antenna [4], and this result is
reasonable if one considers that the magnetic coupling between
the wire segments of each respective loop geometry increases
when the perimeter of the loop antenna decreases, generating a
stronger magnetic field parallel to the z-axis of the loop.

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Figure 4. Simulated far-field radiation patterns in three planes for the thin-wire
partitioned circular loop antenna (5.8 GHz).

The antenna bandwidth is determined from the simulated return

loss to be 6.2 % with respect to the 10-dB threshold level, and
thus the radiator is inherently narrowband.

III. PRINTED LOOP ANTENNA MODEL

A printed square loop antenna was designed by converting 
the loop wire conductors to a strip width of 2.0 mm using a
cylinder-to-ribbon current equivalence approximation relation (a)
w # 2d [6], where d is the wire diameter The antenna is realized
on a substrate with alternating top and bottom layer conductors
using Rogers RT/Duroid 5880 with Hr = 2.2, substrate height h
= 0.787 mm (31 mil), tan G = 0.0004, and conductor thickness t
= 0.035 mm. The capacitances are realized by overlapping the
end sections of annular conducting strips on opposite sides of
the substrate. The areas of overlap were centered at 45q, 135q,
180q, 225q, and 315q, respectively, rotating CCW from the feed
port position. The angular area for each capacitor was
computed using the relation

Tn = 2hCn / (r02 – ri2) H, (1)

where Cn (n = 1, 2,…5) is the physical capacitance for each

location in the loop as determined from the thin-wire model; r0
and ri are the outer and inner radii, respectively, of the printed
loop strip conductors (rcenter = 7.0 mm); and H = HrH0, where H0 =
8.854 × 10-12 F/m is the permittivity of free space. A scale
factor was applied to each capacitance to account for fringing
field effects near the regions of conductor overlap. Fig. 5 shows
the design dimensions of a printed partitioned circular loop
antenna with matching feed line in which the angular areas of
strips are configured for the capacitor values. The design is
highly sensitive to the values of the individual capacitances and

therefore further optimization of these values is required in the
printed model by application of the scaling factor, which is
critical to achieving the desired center frequency of operation (b)
and omni-directional radiation pattern in the xy-plane. Figure 5. Design dimensions for the printed circular loop antenna with annular
Simulation of the printed model using a commercial FEM conducting strips (units are in mm): (a) Top view and (b) Transparent view.
solver [7] shows resonance at the design frequency.

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 Fig. 6 shows the simulated return loss (34.8 dB) for the The simulated far-field 3-D pattern is shown in isometric view
printed circular loop antenna, with a 10-dB bandwidth of 6%. in Fig. 8 as encompassing the printed antenna model.

Figure 6. Simulated return loss for the printed circular loop antenna (5.8 GHz). Figure 8. Simulated 3-D far-field radiation pattern for the printed circular
loop antenna using FEKO 3-D solver (5.8 GHz).

An independent simulation of the printed circular loop antenna

model is then performed using the FEKO 3-D electromagnetic The far-field radiation pattern is nearly omni-directional with a
solver in order to confirm the results of the FEM simulation directive gain of 1.66 dBi, with pattern degradation opposite
[8]. An embedded edge port is used to excite the antenna at 1 V the feed source location on the order of ” 1 dB.
due to finite substrate dimensions. The Surface Equivalence
Principle (SEP) is used with adaptive frequency sweeps from IV. CONCLUSION
4.8 to 6.8 GHz. The electric and equivalent magnetic surface
A novel printed loop antenna has been designed and
currents are then calculated at 5.8 GHz, as shown in Fig. 7. The simulated by partitioning the structure and inserting physical
opaque view shows the strips and annular areas of capacitance. capacitors at selected locations by overlapping conducting
strips of annular geometry for smoothing the current phase. The
antenna has a simulated directive far-field gain of 1.66 dBi at
5.8 GHz, with nearly omni-directional radiation in the xy-plane.
The printed loop antenna has potential use as a low-power
transceiver for both WLAN and RFID applications.

REFERENCES

[1] G. S. Smith, “Loop Antennas,” in Antenna Engineering Handbook, Ed.

J. Volakis, Fourth Edition, Chapter 5, The McGraw-Hill Companies,
New York, 2007.
[2] W.L. Stutzman and G.A. Thiele, Antenna Theory and Design, Second
Edition, Chapters 2 and 5, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1998.
[3] C. A. Balanis, Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design, Second Edition,
Chapter 5, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1982.
[4] R. Hasse, V. Demir , W. Hunsicker, D. Kajfez, and A. Z. Elsherbeni,
“Design and analysis of partitioned square loop antennas,” The Applied
Computational Electromagnetics Journal, Vol. 23, No.1, pp. 53-61,
March 2008.
[5] A. R. Djordjeviü, M.B. Dragoviü, V.V. Petroviü, D.I. Olüan, T.K.
Sarkar, and R. F. Harrington, Analysis of Wire Antennas and Scatterers
(ver. 2.0), Software and User’s Manual, Chapter 8, Artech House,
Norwood, MA, 2002.
[6] R. F. Harrington, Time-Harmonic Electromagnetic Fields, Chapter 5,
McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, 1961.
[7] High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS), Ver.11, Ansoft
Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA, 2009.
Figure 7. Equivalent magnetic surface current for the printed circular loop
antenna with annular capacitors using FEKO 3-D solver (5.8 GHz). [8] FEKO Suite 5.5, EM Software & Systems-S.A. (Pty) Ltd., 32
Technopark, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa, 2009.

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