Microwave metal disk antenna with axis-symmetric excitation

The paper presents a microwave metal disk antenna with axis-symmetric excitation operating in the TM/sub 010/ mode. Experimental investigations of the input characteristics of the antenna, and of the near-fields and the radiation pattern, have been performed. It was shown that the antenna forms a conical radiation pattern, oriented 36/spl deg/ to the zenith, and has a bandwidth of 18% that can be evaluated as a record for antennas of this kind. The antenna also has a level of side radiation as well as a cross-component level less than -25 dB. Within the working frequency band, the radiation pattern width and the direction of maximum radiation change by 17% and 40%, respectively. The experimental results agree well with theoretical predictions.