A Compact Parallel-Plane Perpendicular-Current Feed for a Modified Equiangular Spiral Antenna

The design and measurement is described of a compact (59.94 mm × 59.94 mm × 1.14 mm) bidirectional ultrawideband modified equiangular spiral antenna with an integrated feed internally matched to a 50-Ohm microstrip transmission line. An ultrawideband transition from microstrip to parallel-strip line soldered to a short (1.14 mm) twin-line transmission line feeds the spiral. The currents on the feed travel in a direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of the currents on the spiral at the points where the feed passes the spiral in close proximity (0.57 mm). Holes were etched from the metal arms of the spiral to reduce the impedance mismatch caused by coupling between the transmission line feed and the spiral. Measured and simulated radiation patterns and VSWR plots show good performance over the ultrawideband range (3.1-10.6 GHz) with a 2:1 VSWR everywhere in this range except for 3.33-3.95 GHz, which has a 3:1 VSWR. This spiral exhibits an elliptical polarization over the ultrawideband range.