AbstractIn this paper, a Bow-tie antenna with size reduction, impedance matching and radiation pattern improvement characteristics is designed with an encircling ring. Moreover, further size reduction is achieved by utilizing two symmetric split rings with more frequency tuning flexibility. Research found the ring loaded Bow-tie antenna (RLBA) shows better performance than the referenced Bow-tie antenna (RBA), and the mechanisms of performance improvements are also investigated and found to be the loading ring acts as two symmetric dipoles in the direction of the antenna’s polarization. Then, using two symmetric split rings on the opposite side of the substrate as replacement of the encircling ring will prolong the length of the dipoles, and achieves further size reduction. The antenna is denoted as dual split ring loaded Bow-tie antenna (DSRBA). The low cutoff frequencies of RBA, RLBA and DSRBA with identical antenna size are 2.65 GHz, 2.27 GHz and 2.06 GHz, respectively. Then, the corresponding diameters of the antennas are 0.353