Research on a Wideband High Power Microwave Planar Antenna Array

A novel wideband microwave planar antenna array for high-power microwave (HPM) is proposed. The antenna array is composed entirely of metal and has a layered structure that is compatible with microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology. After the antenna radomes are mounted externally, the overall breakdown pressure is enhanced by adding SF6 gas. To lower the electric field strength at the feed end and boost peak power, a tapered structure is adopted for the feed. The advantages of the structure include its high power capacity, ease of processing and installation, and compact design. At the center frequency of 2.1 GHz, the relative bandwidth (VSWR< 2) of the antenna element is 19.05%. The antenna array model with 60 elements is established, and the simulation results reveal that its overall power capacity is above 170 MW under a nanosecond pulse. At 2.1GHz, the gain of the antenna array is 24.53 dBi, and the antenna efficiency is 91.61 %.