A New Design of a Wideband Fractal Antenna for RF Energy Harvesting Applications at 5.8 GHz

This paper introduces the design and evaluation of a wideband fractal antenna intended for RF energy harvesting applications operating near 5.8 GHz. The antenna employs a coplanar waveguide (CPW) feed, enhancing impedance matching and simplifying integration into RF systems. To achieve improved bandwidth, gain, and radiation efficiency while maintaining a compact form factor, a fractal structure is mounted on a 1.6 mm thick FR4 substrate with a dielectric constant of 4.4 and a loss tangent of 0.025. Simulations carried out using Advanced Design System (ADS) and CST Microwave Studio, both full-wave electromagnetic solvers, demonstrate a broad input impedance bandwidth. These results confirm the antenna’s effective operation within the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band, positioning it as a strong candidate for wireless power transfer, lo-power IoT devices, and sensor network applications.