Cross-Polarization Mitigation Technique in Vertically Integrable Antenna Elements for Phased Array Applications

This article presents mitigation techniques for cross-polarization in the vertically integrable antenna elements with wider half power beamwidth (HPBW). The phased array antennas (PAAs) requires wide band and wide HPBW antenna elements for construction to satisfy the wide scanning requirements over a wider operational bandwidth. Tapered slot antenna (TSA) satisfies these requirements but suffers from high cross polarization (CP) due to their high profile. The longer taper profile of these antennas facilitate surface currents to follow longer trajectory which leads to high level of cross polarization. This article deliberates upon the mitigation of CP and present some design techniques which modifies the taper profile with some groves to satisfy the above-cited requirements for PAA applications.