The magnetoelectric dipolea wideband antenna for base stations in mobile communications

In this paper, stringent requirements imposed on the design of base station antennas for mobile communications are summarized. Conventional techniques for implementing base station antennas are reviewed. The complementary antenna concept of combining an electric dipole with a magnetic dipole is reconsidered. Recently, this kind of antenna has been commonly called a "Huygen's source". The purpose is to develop wideband unidirectional antennas with stable frequency characteristics and low back radiation. Based on this concept, the magnetoelectric dipole was invented by integrating an electric dipole with an L-probe fed shorted quarter-wave patch antenna. A number of magnetoelectric dipoles with different radiation patterns and different polarizations have been developed in recent years. An overview of the characteristics of this new class of complementary antennas is presented. Major design challenges are explained. Finally, a new magnetoelectric dipole that is low in profile and robust in structure is presented. The magnetic dipole part of this antenna is realized by a triangular-shaped loop antenna. The antenna is inherently direct current (dc) grounded, which satisfies the requirement for outdoor applications. © 2012 IEEE.