On Microstrip Array Antenna with Enhanced Bandwidth and Gain Using Modified Ant Lion Optimization for X-Band Applications

Abstract

This article furnishes the design and analysis of three concentric circular array antennas (CCAAs) of point sources and a linear microstrip patch array antenna (LMPAA) employing a newly developed hybrid optimization algorithm, the modified ant lion optimization (MALO). The optimum CCAAs employing MALO offer better radiation patterns in terms of the reduction in peak side lobe level, null depths, first null beam width, and directivity considering the same apertures, compared to some other popular optimization algorithms available in the literature. In the other hand, the LMPAA with optimized rectangular ring shaped slots in its ground plane using MALO enhances its bandwidth (BW), gain, and directivity. A prototype of the proposed LMPAA is fabricated, which offers measured values of BW, gain, directivity, and radiation efficiency of 907.1 MHz, 10.26 dBi, 12.19 dB, and 84.16%, respectively. The LMPAA is compared with some previously available designs in the literature to highlight its significance and hence to validate the process of employing optimization algorithms in design and analysis of real antennas.