TEM Horn Inspired Wideband Antennas for Diverse Applications

Two implementations of transverse electromagnetic (TEM) horns are researched for wideband receiving (RX) and transmitting (TX) applications. Both configurations are flush-mountable and inspired by a combined TEM horn/loop design. For RX application, a 46:1 bandwidth antenna recessed in an absorptive cavity is developed having in mind requirements of an amplitude-only direction finding antenna subsystem. For TX operation, an integration approach is proposed to assimilate the antenna with a lossless cavity and eliminate excitation of cavity modes that may degrade its performance. This is enabled by the realization of a compact, high-power, and flush-mountable TEM horn array. Theory and experiments validate designs robustness and show good performance in both cases.