A frequency-reconfigurable elliptical monopole antenna for cognitive radio networks

In this paper, an elliptical disk monopole antenna with seven switchable states, including an ultrawideband (UWB) state and six narrowband states, is presented. It consists of an elliptical disk radiator to operate in the UWB mode for cognitive radio (CR) sensing. To operate in the narrowband mode, the antenna is fed through a defected ground structure (DGS) integrated microstrip line. Frequency reconfigurability is achieved by changing the DGS slot length using six electronic switches. The simple proposed design can cover a wide range of frequency bands from 0.75 to 12 GHz, has an omnidirectional radiation pattern with high gain, and is especially suitable as a CR front-end. The fabricated prototype shows good impedance matching in the specified frequency range.