Optically transparent ultra-wideband antenna

A novel optically transparent ultra-wideband (UWB) disc monopole antenna is proposed. The antenna is fed by a 50 Ω coplanar waveguide and its operational bandwidth is measured from 1 to 8.5 GHz. Gain and radiation patterns are also presented. The antenna exhibits omnidirectional and monopole-like radiation patterns at low frequencies for the H-plane and E-plane, respectively. The proposed antenna uses the highly conductive AgHT-4 transparent film, which makes the antenna suitable for inter-vehicle communication.