Planar, low-profile, wideband, wide-scan phased array antenna using stacked-disc radiator

Many of today's satellite communication and radar systems demand phased array antennas that are wideband and capable of dual linear or circular polarization. These types of antennas are necessary in order to achieve the desired multifunction operation and polarization diversity. A phased array antenna that satisfies these requirements have been developed. The antenna can provide an octave-bandwidth performance with excellent scan and polarization behavior. More importantly, it is very compact and low-profile in nature. The design of this planar array antenna is described. Its performance has been validated using a waveguide simulator and test array measurements. Some of these results are presented.