A novel low-profile antenna with end-fire radiation

A low-profile antenna with end-fire radiation and vertical polarization is presented in this paper. It employs a top-open dielectric-filled waveguide to propagate the electromagnetic waves, which is radiated by gradually deducing the height of the waveguide. The proposed antenna has a low profile of 0.1λL (λL is the wavelength at the lowest operating frequency), and is embedded in a large ground plane. Simulation results show that a fractional impedance bandwidth of 23.6%, a maximum gain of 8.4 dBi, and an end-fire radiation is achieved, indicating that the antenna should be useful in airborne and vehicle platforms. The antenna has a width much less than a wavelength, showing the capability of being an array element for higher directivity and beam steering at the end-fire direction.