Broadband dielectric resonator antennas excited by L-shaped probe

Dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs) designed for broadband applications and excited by L-shaped probe are presented. The L-probe is housed under an air-filled groove between the DRA and the ground plane. A 32% matching bandwidth (S/sub 11/<-10 dB) is achieved with broadside radiation patterns. The new structure is constructed from the same dielectric materials. Thus, it is mechanically better than other wideband DRAs that consist of more than one dielectric material such as the stacked DRA. Some results are verified experimentally. The performance of this DRA and those fed by traditional probes and slots are investigated numerically. In addition, comparisons between L-probe excited DRAs and L-probe excited microstrip patch antennas are discussed.