Antenna and Propagation

Dr. Moazam Maqsood

moazam@ist.edu.pk

Lecture 1
Introduction + Basic Concepts

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Antenna
• An antenna is a device to transmit or receive
radio waves
• An antenna converts guided waves (coming
from a transmission line) to free space waves
and vice-versa
• Regardless of the antenna type, radiation
occurs due to time varying current or
accelerated charge

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Antenna Radiation

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Equivalent Circuit
• Maximum voltage should be dropped across
Rr (for maximum radiation)
• RL is the loss in the antenna structure
• Standing waves are created due to mismatch
between the antenna and the TX line

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Why an antenna radiates ?
• The total charge Q • Current density over a
within volume V is cross section of wire
moving in the z 𝐽𝑧 = 𝑞𝑣 𝑣𝑧
direction with uniform • Current density on the
velocity vz surface of wire
𝐽𝑠 = 𝑞𝑠 𝑣𝑧

• Current along the wire

𝐼𝑧 = 𝑞𝑙 𝑣𝑧

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Why an antenna radiates
• If the current is time-varying then the
derivative of the current can be written as
𝑑𝐼𝑧 𝑑𝑣𝑧
= 𝑞𝑙 = 𝑞𝑙 𝑎𝑧
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

• If the wire has length l

𝑑𝐼𝑧 𝑑𝑣𝑧
𝑙 = 𝑙𝑞𝑙 = 𝑙𝑞𝑙 𝑎𝑧
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
• It states that to create radiation, there must
be a time-varying current or charge
acceleration (deceleration)
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Why an antenna radiates
• If a charge is not moving, current is not
created and there is no radiation.
• If a charge is moving with a uniform velocity
– There is no radiation, if the wire is straight
– There is a radiation if the wire is bent, curved,
discontinuous, terminated or truncated
• If the charge is oscillating in a time motion, it
radiates even if the wire is straight

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Single wire antenna

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Two wire antenna
• Applying voltage creates electric field lines
between the wires
• Electric field lines set free electrons to motion
• Movement of charge creates current and
produces the associated magnetic field
• A sinusoidal source creates a time varying
electromagnetic field creating EM waves
travelling along the antenna wires
• The EM waves are pushed to the edges of the
antenna and are detached creating free space
waves
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Two wire antenna

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Dipole antenna
• During first quarter, the
charge has reached it’s
maximum
• The charge density
becomes neutral during
next quarter (possibly by
the opposite charges)
• Since there is not net
charge on the antenna, the
lines of force are forced to
detach from it and form
closed loops.
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Current on a thin wire antenna
• Current is produced due
to time varying source
• Standing waves are
produced due to
reflection(180° reversal)
• Radiation occurs due to
flaring
• The fields from the
dipole reinforce each
other.

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Different types of Antenna
1. Wire Antenna
2. Aperture Antenna
3. Microstrip (Patch) Antenna
4. Reflector Antenna
5. Lens Antenna
6. Array Antenna

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Wire Antennas
• Monopoles, Dipoles, Loops, Helices and etc.

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Aperture Antennas
• More directive, Can be flush mounted to the
space craft body

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Microstrip Antennas
• Metallic patch on a grounded substrate
• Conformable, low cost, easy to manufacture

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Reflector Antennas
• Parabolic dish, high gain, mainly ground
stations

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Lens Antennas
• Used to confine energy in a small area
• Similar to parabolic reflectors
• Usually used at higher frequencies

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Array Antennas
• Multiple antenna elements excited at the
same time

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