Comparison of array configuration for Antipodal Vivaldi antenna

Abstract

Single element of Vivaldi antenna, two, and four elements of Vivaldi antenna array in planar and h-plane configuration have been compared. The single element antenna printed on a substrate with relative permittivity and thickness of 4.3 and 1.6 mm, respectively. The single antenna dimension is 120.3 mm × 87.2 mm, approximately. The two and four elements of Antipodal Vivaldi antenna array designed using planar and h-plane array configuration. The single element of Vivaldi antenna works at 3.004 GHz frequency, with −10 dB bandwidth of 1.507 GHz and gain of 5.287dBi. Both in planar and h-plane configuration, the two and four elements antenna will be compared to the single element antenna in order to investigate the effect of mutual coupling generated by other elements in array configuration. The mutual coupling between elements may reduce the overall antenna performance, so that several configurations must be compared to minimize the mutual coupling effect. Regarding to the simulation result, the two and four elements antenna in planar configuration work well at 2.5 GHz. While in h-plane configuration, the two and four elements antenna work well at 3.0 GHz. The shifting of operating frequency in two and four elements antenna using planar configuration caused by the distance between elements which increase the wavelength so that the antenna's operating frequency is shifting and become lower than the planar configuration.