A tiny double-ridged horn antenna for subsurface radar applications

A very small TEM double-ridged horn antenna for radar applications in the frequency range of 6-20 GHz will be presented in this work. Based upon a prior double-ridged horn antenna design, this work focuses on the miniaturization of the antenna for compact dimensions and portable operations. The design process from the initial electromagnetic model to the final prototype will be described in this contribution, covering all aspects of the simulation and fabrication of such an antenna. Among the varying design parameters are linear and exponentially tapered walls as well as variations of the curvature of the dielectric filling between the two ridges. In addition a metallic back plate has been implemented in the antenna design to further improve the return loss. The primary design goal is a broad bandwidth from 6-20 GHz while maintaining compact dimensions. The characteristics of the fabricated antenna have been verified by anechoic chamber measurements. The developed double-ridged horn antenna has been applied to subsurface radar application using a mobile GPR scenario.