Introduction of Microwave Antenna and

Applications
 
Dr. Ashwani Kumar
 
M.Tech, Ph. D: Department of Electronic Science, University of
Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India.
Post-Doc: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA.
 
Assistant Professor
Department of Electronics
Sri Aurobindo College, University of Delhi,
Malviya Nagar, New Delhi, India
 

ashwanikumar7@Yahoo.com
 Books
• Constantine A. Balanis, ANTENNA THEORY ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
• J. D. Kraus, Antennas, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1988
• W. L. Stutzmanan and G. A. Thiele, Antenna Theory and Design,
Wiley, New York, 1998
• IEEE Transaction on Antenna and Propagation Research Paper
 History of Antenna
 In 1886, Heinrich Hertz developed a wireless communication system in which he forced an
electrical spark to occur in the gap of a dipole antenna. He used a loop antenna as a receiver,
and observed a similar disturbance.
 By 1901, Marconi was sending information across the atlantic. For a transmit antenna, he used
several vertical wires attached to the ground. Across the Atlantic Ocean, the receive antenna
was a 200 meter wire held up by a kite.
 In 1906, Columbia University used a transmitting aerial cage. This was a cage made up of wires
and suspended in the air, resembling a cage.

Spark gap

Dipole antenna

Loop antenna to receive

Fig.1 Heinrich Hertz antenna using spark Fig.2 Marconi wire antennas supported by wooden towers
A rough outline of some major antennas and their discovery/fabrication dates
are listed:

Yagi-Uda Antenna, 1920s

Horn antennas, 1939. Interesting, the early antenna literature discussed

waveguides as "hollow metal pipes".

Antenna Arrays, 1940s

Parabolic Reflectors, late 1940s, early 1950s.

Patch Antennas, 1970s.

PIFA, 1980s.

Nowadays, AMC (artificial magnetic conductor), EBG(Electromagnetic Band Gap)

and Metamaterial are used to enhance the performance of the antennas
 EM waves in free space
• v2 = 1/(oµo) so v = 3 x 108 m/s
• o = 8.855 x 10-12 Farads/m
• µo = 1.2566 x 10-6 Henrys/m
• EM waves in free space propagate freely without
attenuation

• What is a plane wave?

• Example is a wave propagating along the x-direction
• Fields are constant in y and z directions, but vary
with time and space along the x-direction
• Most propagating radio (EM) waves can be thought
of a plane waves on the scale of the receiving
antenna

Fig.3
RF Bands, Names & Users
 Electromagnetic Spectrum & Frequency Bands
Full EM Spectrum
Microwave Frequency Bands
Frequency Bands Frequency Wavelength
  Range Range
SHF 3 GHz - 30 GHz 1 cm -1 mm
UHF 300 MHz - 3 GHz1 m -10 cm
 
VHF 30 MHz -300MHz 10 m -1 m
 
HF 3 MHz - 30 MHz 100 m - 10 m
 Microwave Wave: 300 MHz- 30 GHz (100cm-1.00 cm)  
 MM-wave: 30GHz-300GHz (10mm-1mm) MF 300 kHz- 3 MHz 1 km - 100 m
 Tera-Hz Wave (Sub-millimeter wave) : 300 GHz-3000GHz (  
0.3 THz-3THz), (0.1mm – 1.0mm) LF 30 kHz - 300 kHz 10 km -1 km
 
VLF 3 KHz- 30 kHz 100 km -10 km
   

Wavelength λ (m) = 300 / f(MHz);

λ (cm) = 30 / f(GHz)
 Cellular Phone Frequency Bands
 Cell phones operate in UHF frequency range
 Most signals are in the 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 1900 MHz frequency bands.
 India's wireless Internet frequencies are:

•2G : GSM 900 MHz, GSM 1800 MHz

•3G : UMTS 2100 MHz
•4G : TD-LTE 2300 MHz

GSM: Global System for Mobile communication

UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
TD-LTE : Time-division Long-Term Evolution (TD-LTE), also referred to as Long-Term Evolution
Time-Division Duplex (LTE TDD)

C-Band Ku-Band (For DBS)

Up-Link Frequency : 3.700 - 4.200 GHz Up-Link Frequency : 12.2 -12.7 GHz
Down -Link Frequency : 5.925 - 6.425 GHz Down -Link Frequency : 17.3 -17.8 GHz
Intuitive Picture of
Radiation
 Antenna
 An antenna is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “a usually metallic device (as a rod or wire)
for radiating or receiving radio waves.”
 The IEEE Standard Definitions of Terms for Antennas (IEEE Std 145–1983)∗ defines the
antenna or aerial as “a means for radiating or receiving radio waves.”
 In other words the antenna is the transitional structure between free-space and a guiding device,
as shown in Fig.4
 The guiding device or transmission line may take the form of a coaxial line or a hollow pipe
(waveguide), and it is used to transport electromagnetic energy from the transmitting source to
the antenna, or from the antenna to the receiver.

Fig.4
Necessary Conditions for Radiation
 A group of charges in uniform motion (or
stationary charges) do not produce radiation.

 In Fig. 5(b)–(d), however, radiation does occur,

because the velocity of the charges is changing in
time.

 The charges are reaching the end of the wire and

reversing direction, producing radiation.

 In Fig. 5(c) the speed of the charges remains

constant, but their direction is changing, thereby
creating radiation.

 Finally, in Fig. 5(d), the charges are oscillating in

Fig.5 periodic motion, causing a continuous stream of
radiation.
 Application
Antenna radiates the EM-wave in the free-space/ or in a material medium in the specified
frequency band- narrow or wide; and also receives the EM-wave at a distance. Normally
antenna is used for the following broad group of applications.
 
Communication Systems-
 Point to point communication.
 Satellite communication.
 Several kinds of wireless communication.
 Broadcasting.
 Radio Navigations. etc.
  Non-communication applications
• Industrial: Sensor, EMC/EMI etc.
 Medical.
 Agricultural
 Other Scientific applications.
 Radio Astronomy.

Undesired EM-Radiations:
• Any conductor supporting time varying electrical current or transient is a source of EM-radiation.
• Any slot or gap aperture in shielding screen of RF devices or RF cable can radiate EM-wave.
 Basic Operation of Antenna
 
A Transmission medium Carrying RF/ Microwave Signals has Three
Applications :
 
 To act as a guided wave medium to support either RF current ( transmission
lines) or RF field ( Waveguides).
 To act as a resonator.
 To act as a radiator i.e. antenna.
 
Basic Sources of EM-Radiations
 
Three Sources of Radiations
 Accelerated charges
 Line conductors or conducting surfaces supporting time varying currents.
 Apertures or slots supporting time varying Electric or Magnetic Fields.
 A basic radiator can also be formed a combination of Conductors and Apertures
(Slots).
 Generation of EM-Field
 The static charge creates radial emerging static electric field lines.
 Uniformly moving charge constitutes the steady electric current and it creates the static
magnetic field loop around it.
 If we superimpose charge and current, we get superimposed mutually orthogonal
Electric Field+ Magnetic field.

(a) Fig.6 (b)

 Non-uniformly moving charges i.e. accelerated charges
constitute the time varying electric current and it creates
the time varying Electromagnetic field (mutually
orthogonal Electric + Magnetic field) that propagates in
a medium.
 Maxwell Equations
 Radiated EM-fields and Sources are related by Maxwell Equations.
  
 B B  0 H
 E  
 t   
  D D  0E  0


J x , y , z , t  R 
c dV 
 B  J    
A( x, y, z, t ) 
4 R
  t
V
B   A
  Retarded Magnetic Vector
.E  A  Magnetic Vector Potential
 0
Potential at Field Point:
.B  0  Electric and Magnetic Field in Far-field Region:
 
Sources of Radiation E   j A
Radiated Field in space
 
H   A
 Antenna Groups
All antenna can be put in two groups:
 Time varying current supporting structures: Wires and Plates ( Conducting Surface)
 Time varying field supporting structures: Slots and Apertures ( Dielectric surface)

Fig.7 Time varying current supporting structures

(a) Open ended Rectangular Waveguide (b) Pyramidal Horn (c) Rectangular Microstrip Patch

Fig.8 Time varying field supporting structures

 Basic Antenna types
A: Resonant Type Antenna
B: Non Resonant Type Antenna
C: Frequency Independent type Antenna
D: Aperture Antenna
Resonant Type Antenna:
Structure has resonant size at some specified frequency, structure support a standing wave
 Dipole
 Monopole
 Microstrip Patch

Fig.9 Dipole antenna Fig.10 ¼ Wave Monopole antenna

 Non Resonant Type Antenna

(a) Rhombic Antenna (b) Long wire Antenna

(c) Leaky wave Antenna (d) Vee antenna (e) Helical Antenna

Fig. 11 Structure support a Traveling wave current and known as a Traveling wave antenna
 Frequency Independent type Antenna
An antenna with a bandwidth of about 10:1 or more is referred to as a frequency-independent antenna.

(a) Spiral Antenna (b) Archimedean Spiral Antenna (c) Log-periodic toothed trapezoid (d) Conical Spiral Antenna

Fig. 12
 Aperture Antenna

(a) Slot Antenna (b) Cassegrainian feed Antenna (c) Horn Antenna

Fig. 13
 Anechoic chamber

Fig. 14
 Far-field and Near-field

There are terms with radial dependencies of 1/r,

1/r2, and 1/r3.
With increasing distance from the dipole, first
the 1/r3 term diminishes compared to other
terms,
then the 1/r2 term diminishes, and only the 1/r
term is significant in the far field. Fig. 15
Far-field and Near-field

Fig. 16
 Parameters to Characterize Antenna
The Characterization of an antenna means Specification of antenna with Suitable Parameters .
Antenna is treated as a Two-Port Device.

Input:
Electrical Power Output:
from Source Antenna Radiated Power
In Space

 Output ( Radiated Power in the Space)

 Input ( Power from Source at input terminal)
 Body of Antenna (Losses on the body of Antenna)
Output of Antenna is the RF radiated power in the Free Space supporting the TEM -mode.
Radiation can take place in the spherically symmetric in all directions or in the needed
direction with specified sector area.
Important parameters to characterize Output of Antenna:
Radiated Power:

 Radiation density
 Radiation intensity
 Total radiated power
 Radiation Resistance
 Reactive Energy and Radiation Reactance

Spatial Distribution of Radiation:

 Co-ordinate System Planes of Radiation:
 E and H-planes
 2D Rectangular Plot (In Rectangular Co-ordinate System)
 2D Polar Plot (In Polar Co-ordinate System)
 3D Radiation Pattern (In Spherical Co-ordinate System)
Directivity
Polarization
 Co-polarization
 Cross-polarization
 Polarization Bandwidth
Important parameters to characterize the Input of Antenna:
 Resonant Frequency
 Input Impedance
 Bandwidth ( Impedance Bandwidth)
 Matching with Source
 VSWR
 Return-loss (S11)
Parameters to relate the Input and Output of
Antenna Structure Losses
Antenna:
 Conductor Loss
 Efficiency
 Dielectric Loss
 Gain
 Other losses
Radiation Pattern Coordinate System
 Elevation Plane is X-Z plane (ϕ=0o plane ) also Y-Z
Plane (ϕ=90o plane). It is also Vertical Plane.

 Azimuth Plane is X-Y plane (ϴ=0o plane ). It is also

Horizontal Plane.

Field pattern( in linear scale) typically represents a plot

of the magnitude of the electric or magnetic field as a
function of the angular space.

Power pattern( in linear scale) typically represents a

plot of the square of the magnitude of the electric or
magnetic field as a function of the angular space.

Power pattern( in dB) represents the magnitude of the

electric or magnetic field in decibels, as a function of
the angular space.
Fig. 17
Radiation Pattern

Fig. 18
 Radiation Pattern

(a) Field pattern (in linear scale) (b) Power pattern (in linear scale) (c) Power pattern (in dB)

Fig. 19
 Radiation Pattern

(a) Radiation lobes and beamwidths

of an antenna pattern

(b) Linear plot of power

pattern and its
associated
lobes and beamwidths

Fig. 20
 Isotropic, Directional, and Omnidirectional Patterns
An isotropic radiator is defined as “a hypothetical lossless antenna having equal radiation in all
directions.” Although it is ideal and not physically realizable it is often taken as a reference for
expressing the directive properties of actual antennas.

(a) Elevation plane (b) Azimuth plane

Fig.21 An isotropic radiator

 Omnidirectional Patterns
The pattern in Fig.22 is nondirectional in the azimuth plane and directional in the elevation plane. This type of
a pattern is designated as omnidirectional, An omnidirectional pattern is then a special type of a directional
pattern.

(a) Azimuth plane

Radiation pattern of dipole antenna

In both Elevation and Azimuth plane

Fig. 22 dipole antenna (b) Elevation plane

 Directional pattern
A directional antenna is one “having the property of radiating or receiving electromagnetic waves
more effectively in some directions than in others

Directional Radiation pattern

Horn antenna and Radiation pattern

Fig. 23 Horn antenna