Increasing Prompt Response From Impulse Radiating Antenna by Aperture Shaping

In order to improve the prompt response from an impulse radiating antenna (IRA) a number of studies have suggested controlling the spatial distribution of the aperture fields by changing the feed arm angle. Other work has suggested that proper shaping of the aperture can further enhance the radiated signal for a given feed structure. This paper shows how the radiated prompt response can be maximized for a given feed arm configuration by shaping the aperture to eliminate fields orientated in the wrong direction. The percent increase in the prompt radiated electric field for a 200 ? IRA with a ideally shaped aperture compared to a standard circular aperture ranged from 0.42% to 39.94% depending on the input electrode angle. For the most common electrode angles of 45° and 60° the increases are 6.00% and 16.63% respectively.