Compact shape of vivaldi antenna for water detection using ground pentrating radar

A novel design of a Vivaldi antenna for water detection is presented for developing the ground penetrating radar system. In the newly developed Vivaldi antenna periodic dumbbell slots have been etched on both edges to reduce the antenna size and produce much better properties than the conventional one. The -10 dB impedance bandwidth extends from 69 to 250 MHz with 25% size reduction with average gain around 3.5 dBi using thin substrate. For thick substrate, the bandwidth extended from 50 to 500 MHz with 40% size reduction and average gain of about 4 dBi. Both simulation and experimental results show that the Vivaldi antennas have stable directional end fire radiation patterns, which are suitable for various ultra-wideband applications. The effect of sandy soil, water layer, and the distance between sand surface and proposed antennas are also studied. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:1801-1809, 2014