Improvement of the impedance matching of a dual-band PIFA antenna using theory of characteristic modes

V.P. Lam; T.P. Dang; V.P. Kosteletskii

doi:10.18127/j15604128-202605-10

Improvement of the impedance matching of a dual-band PIFA antenna using theory of characteristic modes

V.P. Lam¹, T.P. Dang², V.P. Kosteletskii³

research article UDC 621.396 Pages: 99-111 doi.org/10.18127/j15604128-202605-10

^1,2,3 Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (Tomsk, Russia)

Keywords: Theory of characteristic modes PIFA-antenna impedance matching characteristic current modal significance linear polarization compact antenna

Abstract

The widespread use of wearable mobile devices imposes stringent requirements on antennas featuring small dimensions, low cost, and simple design. Planar Inverted-F Antennas (PIFAs) satisfy these requirements to the greatest extent. Existing studies on their enhancement using the Theory of Characteristic Modes (TCM) employ various technical approaches, such as defected ground structures, additional bent strips, or slots in the radiating patch. Although these techniques improve antenna performance, they significantly complicate the design, reducing manufacturability in mass production. In contrast to these approaches, the present work proposes a method that does not require introducing additional elements. The objective of this study is to improve the impedance matching bandwidth in the high-frequency band of dual-band PIFA antennas using the TCM-based methodology. As a result, the PIFA antenna is impedance-matched in the frequency range of 1.89–1.93 GHz, with a minimum reflection coefficient |S11| of –46 dB. The obtained results enable the development of a design algorithm for dual-band PIFA antennas, including for other frequency bands, while maintaining high requirements for compactness and energy efficiency. The proposed approach allows designing dual-band PIFA antennas without complicating the structure, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.

Received: 15.06.2026
Approved after review: 03.08.2026
Accepted: 01.09.2026

How to cite

Фам В.Л., Данг Т.Ф., Костелецкий В.П. Улучшение согласования двухдиапазонной PIFA-антенны на основе теории характеристических мод // Электромагнитные волны и электронные системы. 2026. Т. 31. № 5. С. 99−111. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18127/j15604128-202605-10

References

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[1] Ishchenko E.A., Pasternak Yu.G., Pendyurin V.A., Fedorov S.M. Multiband patch antenna based on active metamaterial. Bulletin of the Voronezh State Technical University. 2022. V. 18. № 3. P. 113–116. DOI 10.36622/VSTU.2022.18.3.016. (in Russian)

[2] Xiong J., Li H., Jin Y. Modified TM020 mode of a rectangular patch antenna partially loaded with metamaterial for dual-band applications. IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters. 2009. V. 8. P. 1006–1009. DOI 10.1109/LAWP.2009.2030771.

[3] Hoang T.V., Le T.T., Li Q.Y. Quad-band circularly polarized antenna for 2.4/5.3/5.8 GHz WLAN and 3.5 GHz WiMAX applications. IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters. 2016. V. 15. P. 1032–1035.

[4] Sahil S., Satbir S., Naveen K. A Review of Various Planar Inverted F- Antenna (PIFA) Structures for Wireless Applications. Journal of Electrical & Electronics Engineering. 2015. V. 2. P. 63–65.

[5] Renit C., Raj T.A.B., Beaula C.A. A Review on the Design of Inverted F-Antenna for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMAX and Zigbee Applications. Wireless Personal Communications. 2024. V. 134. P. 953–973. DOI 10.1007/s11277-024-10940-8.

[6] Karlov Al.V., Korshunov S.A., Kotkov K.V., Naryshkin I.M., Obshitikov A.I. Comparative evaluation of implementation options for partial radiators for antenna systems of urban radio centers under severe restrictions on placement conditions. Radiotekhnika. 2023. V. 87. № 6. P. 124−129. DOI 10.18127/j00338486-202306-16. (in Russian)

[7] He Z.X., Francesco F., Chao H. A Systematic Workflow for the Design and System-Level Integration of a 2.1 GHz PIFA Antenna Using AWR. Frontiers in Computing and Intelligent Systems. 2025. V. 13. P. 20–23. DOI 10.54097/yrnbn480.

[8] Sharavanapavan S, Wickramasinghe S., Bandara D.R.M.T.N. Bandwidth enhancement of PIFA antennas for wireless applications by ground plane optimization. International Research Conference of the Open University of Sri Lanka. 2025. P. 480–484. DOI 10.65646/ 3rc20dms3a0480.

[9] Wang Y., Ding Z., Yu J., Cao J., Wang H., Chia M.Y.-W., Nasimuddin N. Metasurface-based circularly polarised antenna: enhanced bandwidth with characteristic mode analysis and symmetric branch design. IET Microwaves, Antennas & Propagation. 2024. V. 18. № 12. P. 974–984. DOI 10.1049/mia2.12516.

[10] Kollipara V., Peddakrishna S. Quad-Port Circularly Polarized MIMO Antenna with Wide Axial Ratio. Sensors. 2022. V. 22. P. 7972. DOI 10.3390/s22207972.

[11] La D.-S., Zhang C., Jiang T.-X., Li L.-Q., Qu M.-J. Radiation pattern reshaping designs for slot antenna based on the third-order mode. International Journal of Electronics and Communications. 2023. V. 170. P. 154814. DOI 10.1016/j.aeue.2023.154814.

[12] Elias B.B.Q., Soh P.J., Al-Hadi A.A., Akkaraekthalin P., Vandenbosch G.A.E. Bandwidth optimization of a textile PIFA with DGS using characteristic mode analysis. Sensors. 2021. V. 21. P. 2516. DOI 10.3390/s21072516.

[13] Rao S.-L. Design of a dual-band folded patch PIFA antenna using characteristic mode analysis. Proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting (APS/URSI). Singapore. 2021. P. 1781–1782. DOI 10.1109/APS/URSI47566.2021.9704124.

[14] Yan S., Hu X., Zhang J., Kong L., Vandenbosch G.A.E. Design of a dual–band wearable planar inverted-F antenna based on characteristic mode theory. Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP 2018). London. 2018. P. 1–3. DOI 10.1049/cp.2018.0452.

[15] Harrington R.F., Mautz J.R. Computation of characteristic modes for conducting bodies. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation. 1971. V. 19. № 5. P. 629–639. DOI 10.1109/TAP.1971.1139990.

Abstract

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