Experimental investigation on novel tapered microstrip slot antenna for ultra-wideband applications

A new compact tapered microstrip monopole-like slot antenna for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications is proposed and studied both numerically and experimentally. The antenna is similar to the conventional microstrip monopole-like slot antenna; however, by introducing a tapered slot, UWB performance may be obtained. The dimensional parameters of the antenna and the corresponding current distribution on the conductor surface of the antenna are investigated numerically first. Based on numerical results, some prototypes are designed, fabricated and measured. The properties of the antenna, including return loss, radiation patterns and gain have been investigated experimentally again in order to confirm numerical results. Furthermore, the performance for the antenna when mounted in a handset is also investigated experimentally. As is reported, the operation bandwidth of the antenna is from 2.91 to 12 GHz, which is over 4:1. Relative omnidirectional and constant radiation patterns can be obtained over the entire bandwidth