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2026-02-06
Superstrate-Based Low Observable Cavity-Backed Archimedean Spiral Antenna (2-18 GHz) for Electronic Warfare Applications
By
Progress In Electromagnetics Research C, Vol. 165, 267-275, 2026
Abstract
A superstrate comprising a dielectric and metasurface pattern, placed at an optimum height from the antenna surface, can facilitate radar cross section (RCS) reduction of the antenna. An optimally designed superstrate will not degrade the radiation performance of the antenna. In this paper a novel design of low RCS superstrate-based right-handed circularly polarized (RHCP) cavity-backed Archimedean spiral (CBAS) antenna has been presented. The superstrate consists of a resistive sheet based metasurface pattern on the top layer and a metallic pattern on the bottom surface of dielectric substrate. It is shown that the proposed thin (0.82 mm) superstrate placed at an optimal height of 19.2 mm from the antenna surface resulted in the RCS reduction of 6-8 dBsm over the operating frequency range (2-18 GHz), without any degradation in VSWR (< 2.1), gain (> 3 dBi), and axial ratio (< 3 dB). Such a low observable, cost-effective, and efficient spiral antenna without any payload constraints can be a preferred choice for electronic warfare applications in aerospace platforms.
Citation
Christy Aby Prasad, Abhina A. Manoj, Shrikrishan Baghel, Konidala Sreeramulu Venu, Vineetha Joy, and Hema Singh, "Superstrate-Based Low Observable Cavity-Backed Archimedean Spiral Antenna (2-18 GHz) for Electronic Warfare Applications," Progress In Electromagnetics Research C, Vol. 165, 267-275, 2026.
doi:10.2528/PIERC25073103
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