Pin-loaded ultrathin magnetoelectric dipole antenna with unidirectional radiation

A wide-beam magnetoelectric dipole antenna with an ultralow profile of 0.01 lambda(0) is proposed in this letter. The magnetic dipole (M-dipole) is formed by placing a turnstile-shaped patch above a circular ground, establishing the foundation of a thin profile. Then, a pair of crossed strips with one end shorted is introduced, exciting the electric-dipole without affecting the radiation of M-dipole and increasing the antenna profile. In that way, stable wide-beam unilateral radiation in both the E- and H-planes can be achieved. At the same time, a high front-to-back (F/B) ratio of 22 dB is obtained for the measured result. Besides, by adjusting the number and position of shorting pins, the proposed antenna shows beam steering capability, which makes it quite promising for future scanning applications.