Compact and Tunable Slot-Loop Antenna

A compact and tunable slot-loop antenna is studied in this communication. By periodically loading the slot line with varactor diodes, the slow-wave loop is capable of operating at frequencies from 2.34 GHz to 4 GHz with the measured input reflection coefficient better than -7.5 dB while occupying a small footprint of 0.072 lambda(g) x 0.072 lambda(g) (8.1 mm x 8.1 mm), where lambda(g) is the guided wavelength of a slot line at 2.34 GHz. The slot-loop in the ground plane is excited by a simple microstrip line, which enables the impedance matching from 3.2 GHz to 4 GHz for VSMR <= 2. A LC low-pass circuit is configured into the bias network to isolate the RF signal from the DC power path and consistent radiation patterns are experimentally obtained across the entire tunable frequencies of interest. The slot loop combined with the feed line and the bias circuitry is only 40 mm x 38.97 mm. Experimental results validate the feasibility of the presented antenna and agree well with simulation data.