Dielectric-Loaded Horn Antenna Design and Simulation Using the Metamaterial Method

In this paper, we propose the design and simulation of a dielectric horn antenna using the metamaterial method; this antenna has a double-layer dielectric waveguide transmission structure. With the continuous development of microwave feed sources, the traditional waveguide systems are no longer able to meet today’s antenna requirements. Consequently, dielectric-loading technology is gradually being applied to design horns. A key advantage of this antenna is its significantly expanded bandwidth of 163.3%. Furthermore, when compared to ridge horns, this dielectric-loaded horn demonstrates superior radiation properties across the entire frequency band, including aperture efficiency (95% in the L band, 65.4% in the S band, 41.5% in the C band, and 28.7% in the X band) and cross-polarization isolation (≥51.6 dB). In addition, before researching the theory of dielectric-loading technology, the modes of the horns should be analyzed. This helps us to better control the hybrid mode. The metamaterial method was applied to achieve stable dielectric properties. We finally conducted experiments on the antenna to validate the relevant theories and feasibility.