In
radio and
telecommunications a
dipole antenna or
doublet is the simplest and most widely used class of
antenna. It consists of two identical conductive elements such as metal wires or rods, which are usually
bilaterally symmetrical. The driving current from the
transmitter is applied, or for receiving antennas the output signal to the
receiver is taken, between the two halves of the antenna. Each side of the
feedline to the transmitter or receiver is connected to one of the conductors. This contrasts with a
monopole antenna, which consists of a single rod or conductor with one side of the
feedline connected to it, and the other side connected to some type of
ground. A common example of a dipole is the "rabbit ears"
television antenna found on broadcast television sets.