Compact, wideband and multiband antennas based on metamaterial concepts

Abstract

In this review article, various antenna designs that are based on metamaterial concepts are presented which have been developed at the University of Toronto. Specifically, several antennas that are based on the zero-index property of transmission-line metamaterials are reviewed, and it is demonstrated that compact, multiband and highly efficient antenna designs can be achieved. Additionally, two other antenna designs that use electric-LC (ELC) field coupled resonator and complimentary-split-ring-resonator (CSRR) metamaterial "particles" are also reviewed, and it is demonstrated that these designs can also offer multiband and/or wideband performances. Through this work, and even though some of the antenna designs utilize only a single metamaterial unit cell, it is demonstrated that the metamaterial conceptual route can lead to innovative antenna designs with excellent performance characteristics.