Antenna Theory and Fundamentals

HALF-WAVE DIPOLE ANTENNA:

A half-wave dipole antenna has length equal to one-half of the wavelength (l= λ/2) at which the
antenna is going to operate. This is shown in Fig. 2(a).
Example: Let operating frequency by 300MHz. The corresponding operating wavelength is λ =
3x108/300x106 = 1m. The half wave dipole length λ/2 = 0.5m
It consists of a thin wire fed (or excited) at the midpoint by a voltage source connected to the
antenna via a transmission line. The field due to the dipole can be easily obtained if we consider it
as consisting of a chain of Hertzian dipoles. The magnetic vector potential at P due to a differential
length dl (= dz) of the dipole, considered at a distance z from Centre of dipole, carrying a phasor
current I = Io Cos βz is
 I 0 Cos  z dz  j  r
dAz 
/
e (1)
4 r /
z

Current θ/ P(x, y, z)
I r/
Distribution Idz
I= I0 Cos βz
r
θ
Transmission
line O
L=λ/2

I
Dipole
antenna

(b)
(a)

Figure 2: A half-wave dipole.

Notice that to obtain eq. (1), a sinusoidal current distribution has been assumed because the current
must vanish at the ends of the dipole; a triangular current distribution is also possible but would
give less accurate results. The actual current distribution on the antenna is not precisely known. It
is determined by solving Maxwell's equations subject to the boundary conditions on the antenna,
but the procedure is mathematically complex. However, the sinusoidal current distribution

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 Antenna Theory and Fundamentals

assumption approximates the distribution obtained by solving the boundary-value problem and is
commonly used in antenna theory.
If r >> l, then r  r /  z Cos
Or r /  r  z Cos 
If r is very large then in the denominator of eq. (1) r' can be replaced by r, however in the phase
term in the numerator of eq. (1), r' can be replaced by (r - z Cos θ) to minimize the effect. Thus,
/4
I
 e
 j  ( r  z Cos )
Az  0 Cos  z dz
4  /4

 I0  j  r  / 4  j 
e
Cos z
Az  e Cos  z dz (2)
4  / 4

e a z (a Cos bz  b Sin bz)

e Cos b z dz 
az
The integral (3)
a2  b2
Applying this to eq. (2) gives
/4
 I 0 e  j  r e j  z Cos ( j  Cos  Cos  z   Sin bz)
Az  (4)
4 r   2 Cos 2   2  / 4

Since β = 2π/λ
Therefore β λ/4 = π/2
And -cos2 θ + 1 = sin2 θ,
Substituting in eq. (4) we have

 I 0 e j  r
Az 
4  r  Sin 
2 2
e j ( / 2) Cos ( 0   )  e  j ( / 2) Cos  ( 0   )

 I 0 e  j  r e j  z Cos j ( / 2) Cos
Or Az 
4  r  Sin  2
e  e  j ( / 2) Cos   (5)

e j  e  j
We know that  Cos 
2
 I 0 e j  r  
Hence Az  Cos  Cos   (6)
2  r  Sin  2
2 
We know that B   H   X A and  X H  j  E
Using this fact in conjunction with eq. (1) to obtain the magnetic and electric fields at far zone
(discarding the 1/r3 and 1/r2 terms) as

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 Antenna Theory and Fundamentals

 
j I 0 e  j  r Cos  Cos  
H  2  (7A)
2 r Sin 

E  H  (7B)

Notice again that the radiation term of HФ and Eθ are in time phase and orthogonal.
We know from the theory of Hertzian dipole the time-average power density is obtained as
1 1
Pave  Re ( E  H )  Re ( E H u r )
2 2
1 2
Pave   H  u r (8)
2
Using eqs. (7) and (8), we obtain the time-average power density as
 
 I 02 Cos 2  Cos  
Pave  2 u (9)
8  r Sin 2 
2 2 r

The time-average radiated power can be determined as

Prad   pave . ds
 2  
  I 0 Cos 2  Cos   
Prad   
2  2   r 2 Sin  d d
 0   0  8  r Sin 
2 2 2 
 
 
 2  
  I 0 Cos 2  Cos   
Prad   
2 
2   d d
 0   0  8  Sin 
2 
 
 
 
Cos 2  Cos  
I 2
 2 d
Prad  0
2 
8 2  0 Sin 
Since   120 
 
Cos 2  Cos  
Hence Prad  30 I 02 
 2 d (10)
 0 Sin 
Due to the nature of the integrand in eq. (10) we have
   
Cos 2  Cos   Cos 2  Cos  
 2 d  2  / 2 2 d
  0 Sin   0 Sin 

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 Antenna Theory and Fundamentals

 
Cos 2  Cos  
Hence Prad  60 I 02 
 /2 2 d (11)
 0 Sin 
Changing variables, u = Cos θ , and using partial fraction reduces eq. (11) to
1
1
Cos 2  u
Prad  60 I 02  2 du
0 1 u2
 2 1 2 1 
 1 Cos  u 1
Cos u 
Prad  30 I 0  
2 2 du   2 du (12)

0 1  u 0 1  u 
 
Replacing 1 + u with v in the first integrand and 1 - u with v in the second, results in
 2 1 2 1 
 1
Sin  v 2
Sin v 
Prad  30 I 02   2 dv   2 dv

0 v 1 1  u 
 
1
2
Sin 2  v
Prad  30 I 02  2 dv (13)
0 v
Changing variables, w = πv, yields
1
2
Sin 2 w
Prad  30 I 02  2 dw
0 w
2 (1  Cos w)
Prad  15 I 02  dw
0 w
 w2 w4 w6 w8 
1  1      .......... 
Prad  15 I 02 
2
 2! 4! 6! 8!  dw
0 w
 w w3 w5 w 7
2 
Prad  15 I 02 
     ..........  dw (14)
0
 2! 4! 6! 8! 
Integrating eq. (14) term by term and evaluating at the limit leads to
2
 w 2 w 4 w 6 w8 
Prad  15 I 
2
0     .......... 
 2.2! 4.4! 6.6! 8.8! 0
 (2 ) 2 (2 ) 4 (2 ) 6 (2 ) 8 
Prad  15 I 
2
0     .......... 
 2.2! 4.4! 6.6! 8.8! 

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 Antenna Theory and Fundamentals

Prad  36.56 I 02 (15)

Also we know from Hertzain dipole that
1
Prad  I 02 Rrad (16)
2
Thus radiation resistance Rrad for the half-wave dipole antenna is readily obtained from above as
2 Prad
Rrad   73  (17)
I 02
Note the significant increase in the radiation resistance of the half-wave dipole over that of the
Hertzian dipole. Thus the half-wave dipole is capable of delivering greater amounts of power to
space than the Hertzian dipole.
The total input impedance Zin of the antenna is the impedance seen at the terminals of the antenna
and is given by

(18)
Where Rin= Rrad for lossless antenna. Deriving the value of the reactance Zin involves a complicated
procedure beyond the scope of this text.
It is found that Xin= 42.5 Ω, so Zin = 73 + j42.5 Ω for a dipole length l= λ/2. The inductive reactance
drops rapidly to zero as the length of the dipole is slightly reduced. For l= 0.485 λ, the dipole is
resonant, with Xin = 0. Thus in practice, a λ/2 dipole is designed such that Xin approaches zero and
Zin +73 Ω. This value of the radiation resistance of the λ/2 dipole antenna is the reason for the
standard 75Ω coaxial cable. Also, the value is easy to match to transmission lines.
These factors in addition to the resonance property are the reasons for the dipole antenna's
popularity and its extensive use.

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