The dielectric wedge antenna

A new modification of the TEM-horn antenna has been developed for ground-penetrating radar (GPR) applications. The antenna is based on a dielectric wedge, and thus, was named the dielectric wedge antenna. Tapering of the metal flairs has been used to match the antenna to the ground and to reduce the late-time ringing. The finite-difference time-domain model of the antenna has been created to investigate physical processes within the antenna and to optimize its performance. The dielectric wedge antenna has shown a superior (in comparison with the TEM-horn) performance by radiation in different types of the ground and has been used in a novel antenna configuration within a GPR system, which is dedicated for landmine detection.