TLM analysis of tapered slot antennas

Tapered slot antennas (TSAs) are of considerable interest as wide band antennas and have many potential applications such as radar and communications. In an attempt to integrate these antennas with MMIC devices, a transmission line modelling (TLM) method has been developed to analyse dielectric substrate supported planar TSAs. Time-domain and frequency-domain analysis methods, such as FDTD and integral equation methods, have been used on certain antenna geometries. A novel and powerful benefit of the TLM technique used in this application is its flexibility and ease of use in the prediction of both the far-field radiation pattern and the input impedance (over a wide frequency range) as functions of the length of the taper and other geometric parameters. The technique readily lends itself to time-domain analysis of driving circuits as well as the antenna. We give preliminary results of the TLM analysis of various single element TSAs. The computed radiation patterns are validated by measured results and the accuracy and efficiency of the approach are discussed. The near-field distribution and input impedance of the antenna are also investigated