Tapered slot antenna analysis with 3-D TLM method

The authors present the electromagnetic fields in a short exponentially tapered slot antenna, calculated with a 3-D TLM method. The calculation of fields for different aperture slot widths gives an optimal shape for which the radiation is a maximum. The radiated pattern is calculated and shows the influence of the aperture slot width on the directivity. The TLM method enables the determination of geometrical parameters of the antenna operating at any frequency, for microwave imaging applications for example.