Abstract
In this study, a millimeter-wave (mmWave) dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) with an omnidirectional pattern is presented for the first time. A key feature of the proposed design is the utilization of a planar feed network to achieve omnidirectional radiation from a rectangular DRA, which has not been reported previously in the open literature. In addition, the proposed antenna offers multiband operation with different types of radiation patterns. The degenerate TE(121)/TE(211) modes were excited at 28.5 GHz with an overall internal electromagnetic field distribution that was similar to that of the HEM(21δ) mode of a cylindrical DRA. The achieved omnidirectional bandwidth and gain were 1.9% and 4.3 dBi, respectively. Moreover, broadside radiation was achieved by exciting the TE(111) fundamental mode at 17.5 GHz together with the resonance of the feeding ring-slot at 23 GHz. The triple-band operation offers a highly versatile antenna that can be utilized in on-body and off-body communications. Furthermore, the proposed design was validated through measurements, demonstrating good agreement with simulations.