Dual-function Slot Antenna Integrated with Solar Cells for the 1.575-GHz Band

Abstract

A linearly polarized slot antenna integrated with solar cells is presented. The proposed antenna operates at the center frequency of 1.575 GHz for the global navigation satellite systems. 40 solar cells are adopted for the radiation structure and 4 slots are formed by these solar cells, which can not only be used for wireless communication but also generate DC energy via the photoelectric effect. The proposed design has achieved a relative bandwidth of 19.9% from 1.45 GHz to 1.77 GHz. Bidirectional radiation performance has been realized and the measured gain at 1.575 GHz is 6.6 dBi.