Active low noise differentially fed dipole antenna

An active antenna based on a printed dipole directly connected to a differential amplifier is presented. The antenna covers the frequency band from 1.7-2.6GHz meaning the relative bandwidth of 41.86%. As the input impedance is mainly defined by the amplifier output, S₁₁ <; -10dB was obtained in the whole frequency range. By designing both the active and the passive parts together a low equivalent noise temperature of 169K was obtained. The gain of the active antenna is higher than 15dBi. Antenna prototype was manufactured and measured. A good agreement between simulation and measurement was observed.