Multilayer and Low-Profile Optically Semi-Transparent Antenna for Conformal Applications

A low-profile, lightweight, and optically semitransparent multilayer antenna based on stacked patches for conformal applications is presented. The antenna employs multiple layers of patches utilizing the polytetrafluoroethylene film and polyethylene foam for bandwidth enhancement and high level of bending. The antenna is designed for the L-band and tested for the flat case as well as conformed to a cylinder with radius of 200 mm, 160 mm, 80 mm, and 40 mm. The proposed antenna has a bandwidth of 1.172–1.328 GHz (12.5%), and the gain varies from 8.14 dBi to 5.08 dBi for different cases of conforming to a cylinder.