A High-Gain Half-Bow-Tie Antenna with Tapered Slots for Foliage Penetration Radar Application

Abstract

In this study, a compact, low-profile, high-gain half-bow-tie antenna with tapered slots is designed specifically for foliage penetration radar (FOPEN) applications. The proposed antenna design begins by vertically bisecting a conventional bow-tie antenna, followed by the addition of two vertical metal strips to enhance the operational bandwidth. To achieve effective impedance matching across the desired frequency range, two horizontal conductive strips and a central balun circuit are integrated into the design. To further optimize the antenna for integration into aerial platforms, the gain and radiation pattern are refined by incorporating two additional metal strips strategically placed on the right side of the bow-tie structure. These design modifications result in a compact antenna with dimensions of 0.43λx 0.4λ x 0.005λ where λ is the wavelength corresponding to the lower frequency of operation. The optimized antenna achieves a realized gain of 6.5 dBi and an impedance bandwidth of 110 MHz, making it highly suitable for FOPEN applications. The enhanced gain, achieved with a single dielectric layer, demonstrates the potential of this design for efficient foliage penetration radar systems. © 2024 IEEE.