Wire Antennas

LINEAR WIRE ANTENNAS
The dipole and the monopole are arguably the two most widely
used antennas across the UHF, VHF and lower-microwave bands.
Arrays of dipoles are commonly used as base-station antennas in
land-mobile systems.
The monopole and its variations are perhaps the most common
antennas for portable equipment, such as cellular telephones,
cordless telephones, automobiles, trains, etc.
An alternative to the monopole antenna for hand-held units is the
loop antenna, the microstrip patch antenna, the spiral antennas,
inverted-L and inverted-F antennas, and others.
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CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications
INFINITESIMAL DIPOLE
Infinitesimal dipole: very short current element
Constant current distribution:
Top-hat antenna
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Magnetic vector potential of a current element
approximation valid for the infinitesimal dipole
The field radiated by any complex antenna in a linear

medium can be represented as a superposition of the fields
due to the current elements on the antenna surface.
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In spherical coordinates
cylindrical symmetry;
angular () dependence is
separable from dependence
on r
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Field vectors of a current element
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features of the field vectors of a current element

Longitudinal (r-components) components decrease with
distance as 1/r2 or faster. Neglected in the far zone.
Transverse component have a 1/r term dominant at
large distances
Transverse E and H field components are orthogonal to
each other (E and H)
In the far zone |E| = |H|
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Power density of a current element
Total power of a current element calculated over a sphere:
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Radiated power of a current element
Radiation resistance of a current element (ideal dipole)
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SMALL DIPOLE
The current is a triangular function of z ':
The Vector Potential integral is obtained as:
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The solution assuming R r :
This result is exactly one-half of the result obtained for vector

potential of an infinitesimal dipole.
Is this expected? YES!!!
The far-field components of the small dipole therefore are half
those of the infinitesimal dipole.
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The normalized field pattern is the same as that of the infinitesimal dipole:
The power pattern:
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The beam solid angle:
The directivity
As expected, the directivity, the beam solid angle (as well as the
effective aperture) are the same as those of the infinitesimal dipole
because the normalized patterns of both dipoles are the same
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The radiated power is four times less than that of an infinitesimal

dipole because the far fields are twice smaller in magnitude
The radiation resistance is also four times smaller than that of the
infinitesimal dipole
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FINITE LENGTH DIPOLE

A good approximation of the current distribution along the dipoles
length is the sinusoidal one:
Assumptions: Antenna is center-fed and current vanishes at the end

points.
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The finite-length dipole is subdivided into an infinite number of

infinitesimal dipoles of length dz '. Each infinitesimal dipole produces
the elementary far field:
Using the far-field approximations:
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Using the superposition principle, the total far field is obtained as:
Element factor
Field of a unit length
infinitesimal dipole
located at a reference
point (origin)
Depends on type of
current and its
direction
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Space factor
(pattern factor)
Function of the
current
distribution
along the
source.
For the current distribution for finite length dipole, the pattern factor is:
The above integrals are solved using:
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The far field of the finite-length dipole is obtained as
The amplitude pattern:
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Patterns (in dB) for some dipole lengths l :
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As the length of the dipole increases beyond one wavelength, the

number of lobes begin to increase.
The pattern of the dipole l = 1.25
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The power pattern:
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The radiated power

Far-zone power flux density:
The total radiated power is given by:
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is solved in terms of the cosine and the sine integrals:
Where,
So, the radiated power can be written as
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Radiation resistance:
Directivity:
where
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Input resistance
If the dipole is lossless, the input power is equal to the radiated
power:
The current at the center of the dipole ( z =0 ) is:
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When the overall length of the antenna is a multiple of ,

the input current:
I in 0
Rr
In practice, the current is not exactly sinusoidal, hence R r is

not infinite but has very large values.
The current is not exactly sinusoidal due to nonzero radius
of the wire and finite gap spacing at the terminals.
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Finite feed gap:
To account for nonzero current at the feed point, the

sinusoidal current distribution is modified by adding a
quadrature term:
l
I z ' a z I 0 sin z ' jpI 0 cos z ' cos
2
2
I z ' a z I 0 sin z ' jpI 0 cos z ' cos
2
2
0 z' l 2
l 2 z ' 0
Where p is a coefficient depending on antenna length

and gap spacing. P decreases as radius and gap
decrease.
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Half-wavelength dipole
This is a classical and widely used thin wire antenna:
Radiated power flow density:
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Radiation intensity:
Radiated power
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3-D power pattern (not in dB) of the half-wavelength dipole:
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Radiation resistance:
Directivity:
Maximum effective area:
Input resistance
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The imaginary part of the input impedance is + j42.5 .

To acquire maximum power transfer, this reactance has to be
removed by matching (that is shortening) the dipole
thick dipole l 0.47

thin dipole l 0.48
The input impedance of the dipole depends strongly on the ratio l/

The input impedance is also influenced by the capacitance
associated with the physical junction to the transmission line.
The structure used to support the antenna, if any, can also
influence the input impedance.
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Input resistance
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Input reactance
Method of images
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Vertical electric current element above perfect conductor
The field at the observation point P is a superposition of the

fields of the actual source and the image source, both radiating
in a homogeneous medium of constitutive parameters.
The actual source is a current element (I0l) (infinitesimal
dipole).
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For the amplitude term
For the phase term, we use

the second-order
approximation
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The total far field
The normalized
power pattern
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As the vertical dipole moves further away from the infinite

conducting (ground) plane, more and more lobes are introduced
in the power pattern. This effect is called scalloping of the
pattern.
The number of lobes is:
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Total radiated power
As h 0, the radiated power of the vertical dipole above

ground approaches twice the value of the radiated power of a
dipole of the same length in free space.
As h , the radiated power of both dipoles becomes the
same
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Radiation resistance
As h 0, the radiation resistance of the vertical dipole above

ground approaches twice the value of the radiation resistance of a
dipole of the same length in free space
As h , the radiation resistance of both dipoles becomes the same
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Radiation intensity
The maximum of U() occurs at = / 2 (except for h ):
This value is 4 times greater than Umax of a free-space dipole of the

same length.
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Maximum directivity
If h =0, D0 = 3, which is twice the maximum directivity of a
free-space current element (D0id = 1.5).
The maximum of D0 as a function of the height h occurs when
h = 2.881 (h = 0.4585 ). Then, D0=6.566.
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Monopoles
A monopole is a dipole that has been divided into half at its center
feed point and fed against a ground plane. It is normally a quarter
wavelength long.
The vertical monopole is extensively used for AM broadcasting
(f=500 to 1500 kHz, =200 to 600 m), because it is the shortest
most efficient antenna at these frequencies and vertically polarized
waves suffer less attenuation at close-to-ground propagation.
Usually multiple radial wire rods, each 0.25 0.35 long, are buried
at the monopole base in the ground to simulate perfect ground
plane, so that the pattern approximates closely the theoretical one,
i.e., the pattern of the /2-dipole.
Losses in the ground plane cause undesirable deformation of the
pattern.
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The field distribution in the upper half-space is the same as that of

the respective free-space dipole.
The currents and the charges on a monopole are the same as on
the upper half of its dipole counterpart but the terminal voltage is
only half that of the dipole. The input impedance of a monopole is
therefore only half that of the respective dipole:
The total radiated power of a monopole is half the power radiated

by its dipole counterpart since it radiates in half-space (but its field
is the same). As a result, the beam solid angle of the monopole is
half that of the respective dipole and its directivity is twice the
directivity of the dipole:
2007-08
The quarter-wavelength monopole

This is a straight wire of length l=/4 mounted over a
ground plane.
The quarter-wavelength monopole is very similar to the halfwavelength dipole in the hemisphere above the ground
plane.
Its radiation pattern is the same as that of a free-space /2-dipole,
only that it is non-zero only for 0<<90.
The field expressions are the same as those of the /2-dipole.
The radiated power of the /4-monopole is half that of the /2dipole.
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The radiation resistance of the /4-monopole is half that of the

/2-dipole:
The directivity of the /4-monopole is:
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Approximate Formulas for

Rapid Calculations & Design
Let,
Then
If 0<G</4
If, /4 <G</2
If, /2 <G<2
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Determine the length of the dipole whose input resistance

is 50.
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Horizontal current element

above a perfectly conducting plane
The analysis is analogous to that of a vertical current element
above a ground plane.
The difference arises in the element factor g() because of the
horizontal orientation of the current element.
The current element is

oriented along the y-axis.
The angle between r and
the dipoles axis (y-axis) is
.
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The far-field:
The far-field approximations:
Hence,
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The normalized pattern
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As the height increases beyond a wavelength (h > ), scalloping

appears with the number of lobes being:
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The radiated power and the radiation resistance of the horizontal

dipole
Radiation intensity
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Maximum Directivity
For small h
2007-08

Wire Antennas

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LINEAR WIRE ANTENNAS

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

Magnetic vector potential of a current element

approximation valid for the infinitesimal dipole

The field radiated by any complex antenna in a linear

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

Field vectors of a current element

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

features of the field vectors of a current element

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

Power density of a current element

Total power of a current element calculated over a sphere:

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

Radiated power of a current element

Radiation resistance of a current element (ideal dipole)

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

The current is a triangular function of z ':

The Vector Potential integral is obtained as:

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

The solution assuming R r :

This result is exactly one-half of the result obtained for vector

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

The power pattern:

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

The beam solid angle:

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

The radiated power is four times less than that of an infinitesimal

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

FINITE LENGTH DIPOLE

Assumptions: Antenna is center-fed and current vanishes at the end

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

The finite-length dipole is subdivided into an infinite number of

Using the far-field approximations:

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

The above integrals are solved using:

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

The far field of the finite-length dipole is obtained as

The amplitude pattern:

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

Patterns (in dB) for some dipole lengths l :

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

As the length of the dipole increases beyond one wavelength, the

The pattern of the dipole l = 1.25

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

The power pattern:

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

The radiated power

The total radiated power is given by:

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

is solved in terms of the cosine and the sine integrals:

So, the radiated power can be written as

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

The current at the center of the dipole ( z =0 ) is:

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

When the overall length of the antenna is a multiple of ,

In practice, the current is not exactly sinusoidal, hence R r is

CRL-715 Radiating Systems for RF Communications

Finite feed gap:

To account for nonzero current at the feed point, the