Heterogeneous Artificial Magnetic Conductor Integrated Low Frequency Quad Band Microstrip Antenna for Underground Wireless Sensor Network

• Published in: IEEE antennas and wireless propagation letters 2025-01, p.1-5
• Main Authors: Yadav, Vishakha, Annavarapu, Sarath K., Charaborty, S, Lolit, L., Singh, K., Ghosh, Abhijyoti, Chattopadhyay, Sudipta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antenna measurements; Antennas; Artificial Magnetic Conductor; Frequency measurement; Low frequency; Microstrip antenna; Microstrip antennas; Resonance; Resonant frequency; Surface impedance; Surface waves; Wireless communication; Wireless sensor networks; Wireless underground sensor network
• ISSN: 1536-1225; 1548-5757
• DOI: 10.1109/LAWP.2025.3527149

The challenges adhere to design planar antenna for versatile soil condition in wireless underground communication has grabbed the attention of potential researchers and is the present state-of-the-art research. Specifically, the change in underground soil properties (with time and place) demands the requirement of planar antennas (≤1000MHz) with varied operating frequencies. However, designing such antenna with good radiation profile is undeniably thought-provoking as they suffer from very poor gain (usually negative). In this communication, a completely new concept of heterogeneous AMC with quasi-AMC properties has been exploited to yield 4 frequency bands (≤1000MHz) with good measured gains of 3 dBi, 4.1 dBi, 7.8 dBi, 7.5 dBi at 703 MHz, 835 MHz, 937 MHz and 1008 MHz respectively. Despite having a smaller ground plane (0.4λ 0 × 0.4λ 0 ), the proposed antenna exhibits good gain and efficiencies in the range of 66% - 92%. The present investigation aims to design the simple and efficient antenna structure which is judiciously achieved through the thoughtful modulation of AMC ground plane impedance.