A broadband, low-profile, compact, and cost-efficient antenna compose of a printed dipole electromagnetically coupled to split-ring resonators (SRRs) is presented. The antenna is made of two identically printed SRRs encompassing each arm of a printed dipole element. Each SRR and the half-wavelength dipole are printed on the top and bottom sides of a thin dielectric substrate. The dipole is excited by a coaxial feed, and the SRRs are electromagnetically coupled to the dipole. The dipole in conjunction with the SRRs generates three resonant modes with stable symmetrical radiation patterns. These resonances interact to provide broadband characteristics: an impedance bandwidth covering 1.38 to 2.41 GHz for a reflection coefficient of less than −10 dB. By changing the SRR split position or location, the different antenna characteristics are observable in terms of impedance bandwidth and radiation patterns. The functionalities, mechanisms, and modes of operation of the composite antenna structure are discussed in relation to the dipole and SRRs. A prototype is fabricated and measured to validate the antenna design. It is computationally and experimentally confirmed that the antenna demonstrates broadband characteristics and a stable gain with non-deteriorating radiation patterns within a broad impedance bandwidth. The compact antenna with overall dimensions of 74.4 mm × 9.6 mm × 0.508 mm (0.469λ × 0.06λ × 0.0032λ at 1.895 GHz) has a fractional bandwidth of approximately 55%, an omnidirectional radiation pattern with a gain greater than 2 dBi, and a radiation efficiency greater than 91%. The compact size, simple structure, and stable radiation properties of the antenna make it suitable for many wireless communication applications.
