An Energy-Perturbation-Based Configuration Strategy for Multifunctional Microstrip Antennas Design

Abstract

A new configuration strategy for multifunctional microstrip antennas' design based on energy flow manipulation is proposed in this letter. The proposed method utilizes the Poynting streamline technique to visualize the effective aperture of the antenna and the energy flow characteristics, offering a novel and intuitive auxiliary approach to antenna design from the perspective of energy modulation. The configuration strategies for antenna gain enhancement and beamwidth expansion through energy perturbation are discussed in detail in this letter. This method can also be extended to the design of multifunctional reconfigurable antennas. The method is demonstrated using both linearly polarized and dual-polarized planar antennas. The results show that the proposed strategy enables the design of antenna configurations that meet specific performance requirements, while also offering insights into the physical mechanisms that allow the design to achieve its performance targets.