Design of A New Metamaterial and Investigation of Its Effect on The Gain of A Circular Patch Antenna

Metamaterials have emerged as a revolutionary innovation in science and technology, offering properties not found in natural materials, such as negative refractive indices, which enable novel applications in photonics and optics. This study focuses on designing a novel metamaterial structure, with the specific goal of enhancing the performance of a circular patch antenna (CPA). The unique properties of metamaterials, particularly their ability to manipulate electromagnetic waves in unconventional ways, are leveraged to increase antenna gain and directivity. The proposed metamaterial, referred to as the hexagonal structure metamaterial (HSM), was designed and simulated using CST software. The study explores the interaction between the HSM and the CPA by examining various configurations and distances between the two components. Simulation results reveal that applying the HSM in single and double layers significantly boosts the antenna's performance, achieving a maximum gain increase of 83.57% with a double-layer HSM at a specific distance. This finding demonstrates the potential of metamaterials to optimize antenna designs for improved efficiency and compactness, with applications spanning communication, radar, and satellite systems.