Optically transparent frequency‐agile antenna for X‐band applications. Issue 16 (1st August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Martin, A.; Castel, X.; Lafond, O.; Himdi, M.
• Is Part Of: Electronics letters. Volume 51:Issue 16(2015)
• Page Start: 1231
• Page End: 1233
• Publication Date: 2015-08-01
• Subjects: microwave antennas -- varactors; frequency 8.8 GHz to 9.8 GHz -- continuous silver layer -- microwave performance -- surface mounted beam‐lead varactor -- antenna tunability -- sheet resistance -- glass substrate -- mesh silver film -- square‐loop coplanar antenna -- optically transparent antenna -- frequency‐agile antenna -- X‐band applications -- optically transparent frequency‐agile antenna; Electronics -- Periodicals; 621.381
• DOI: 10.1049/el.2015.1203
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-5194

Abstract

Abstract : The performance of an optically transparent and frequency‐agile antenna operating from 8.8 to 9.8 GHz is reported. The transparent square‐loop coplanar antenna is made of a mesh silver film printed onto a glass substrate. A high level of transparency ( T > 80%) and low sheet resistance ( Rs < 0.2 Ω/sq) are achieved from such a material. Antenna tunability is provided by a surface mounted beam‐lead varactor which is invisible to the naked eye. The microwave performance of such an antenna is reported, discussed and compared with that of a reference counterpart made of a continuous silver layer (and thus totally opaque). The optically transparent frequency‐agile antenna exhibits gain values ranging from 1 to 3.5 dBi with 10.8% of frequency tunability.