A highly-directive hybrid-fractal radiator-based printed array for X-band amateur radio applications

Abstract

This article provides a 4-elements planar array of fractal patch antennas for X-band wireless communication, especially amateur-radio (10.00–10.50 GHz) applications. The single constituent of the indicated array is a freshly designed hybrid-fractal antenna with a modest gain and low cross-pol. level along the primary beam's path. The exhibited hybrid-fractal design was created using the Minkowski $1^{\mathrm{s}\mathrm{t}}$ iteration, followed by a $50\mathrm{\%}$ scaling to a square geometry in the next stride. The compact planar array structure incorporates the Wilkinson power divider-based corporate feed network. The solo antenna built resonates at 10.02 GHz and offers 10.67 dBi of massive gain and 0.395 GHz of return-loss bandwidth, respectively. At 10.05 GHz resonating frequency, the array prototype gives 16.54 dBi absolute gain and 0.318 GHz impedance bandwidth. Printed prototypes achieved radiation efficiency of $96\mathrm{\%}$ and $86\mathrm{\%}$, respectively. Both prototypes had computed aperture efficiency of $73\mathrm{\%}$ and $76\mathrm{\%}$, respectively. There is a great deal of agreement between the prototypes' measured and simulated findings.

Keywords:

• Antenna array
• hybrid-fractal
• Minkowski
• nodal-quality factor
• X-band

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The DST, GoI, carried out the study for this work under the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) Extra Mural Research Funding (File No.: SB/S3/EECE/226/2016) programme.

Notes on contributors

Kalyan Sundar Kola

Kalyan Sundar Kola completed M.Tech in Telecommunication Engineering from the department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, West Bengal, India in 2014. Since 2018, he is working as an Institute Research Scholar at National Institute of Technology Goa, Farmagudi, Ponda, Goa, India. His research area includes microstrip fractal patch, antenna with DGS structure, miniaturized antenna, array of fractal antennas, dual-band array and shifted-beam antenna array.

Anirban Chatterjee

Anirban Chatterjee received his M. Tech and PhD from National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, India in 2009 and 2013 respectively. Presently he is working as an Associate Professor in the department of ECE at National Institute of Technology Goa, Farmagudi, Ponda, Goa, India. His research interest includes Array Antenna, Soft Computing and Image Frequency rejection techniques in modern Receiver systems. He has published 30 research papers in international journals and 20 papers in international conferences. He received Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) appreciation award in 2019.