Numerical Analysis of an Aperture Coupled Microstrip Patch Antenna Using Mixed Potential Integral Equations and Complex Images

Abstract

A full wave analysis of the aperture coupled microstrip patch antenna using a Mixed Potential Integral Equation (MPIE) approach is proposed. The problem is formulated as three coupled integral equations where the unknowns are the electric surface currents on the patch and feedline and the magnetic surface current on the aperture. Method of Moments (MOM) is then applied to solve for the various current distributions. With the sole use of closed-form Green's functions, integration in the spectral domain or Sommerfeld integral is completely avoided. The technique results in a very efficient algorithm whose computational speed is generally superior to that of spectral domain approach.