Low Profile, Very Wide Bandwidth Aircraft Communications Antenna

In this program, Spectra Research will investigate issues related to the design and development of aircraft-mounted communication antennas that do not cause significant aerodynamic drag and do not require structural penetration of the aircraft hull, while providing vertically polarized coverage to the horizon and circular polarization the zenith within a frequency band of 30-2000MHz. Concepts will be explored that can be utilized for conformal application of new antennas onto curved surfaces. As a consequence, new antenna concepts that will provide for multiple functions in a common pliable aperture will be explored and optimized. When antennas are being designed around these new concepts, advanced tools and techniques are required to accurately simulate the antenna structure and optimize the antenna performance, while exploiting the advantages of a complicated electromagnetic environment that may include custom materials such as metamaterials (including electronic bandgap structures) as well as artificial dielectrics and artificial magnetics. The objective of the proposed research program is to demonstrate new computational tools and design methodologies for optimizing antenna performance while demonstrating advanced antenna constructs that may be utilized to reduce antenna profile and size, and to increase radiation efficiency in an ultra broadband, common aperture configuration.