Low RCS Antenna Loaded with Stepped Impedance Resonator and Metamaterials

In this paper, a new approach to design an antenna for low radar cross section (RCS) application using microstrip technology is developed. For this purpose, a rectangular patch antenna with rotated C-shaped slot for impedance matching, circular shaped slot in the center of the patch along with Complementary Split Ring Resonator (CSRR) is designed. To achieve a better reduction in the RCS at the desired central frequency, the radiating edges of the antenna are loaded with stepped impedance resonator, as levelled edges of the radiating surfaces contribute to an increased RCS. The antenna radiates at 2.3GHz, has an impedance bandwidth of 44.2MHz and a gain of 4.47dBi. The monostatic RCS is -24.77dBsm at the radiating frequency. Results show that loading the radiating edges with stepped impedance resonator and the addition of the planar metamaterials aid in the reduction of the RCS of the antenna.