Performance analysis of forward-looking GPR ultra-wideband antennas for buried object detection

We are currently developing a Stepped-Frequency Radar (SFR) which utilizes a custom-made uniform linear array of 16 Vivaldi notch receive antennas and two Transverse Electromagnetic (TEM) horn transmit antennas. The SFR has an operating band of 300–2000 MHz, and a minimum frequency step-size of 1 MHz. The custom-made TEM horn antennas are used for the transmission of the SFR’s ultra-wideband (UWB) spectrum. This paper discusses a comparison analysis between a commercially available UWB antenna and the currently used TEM horns. Gain, Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR), and antenna pattern measurements for each antenna are presented. The antennas were also tested for their ability to detect buried targets in a simple stepped-frequency radar system using a network analyser as a transmitter and receiver. An analysis of the gain, VSWR, beamwidth, and measured data from radar test of each antenna was performed, providing insights into each antenna’s performance on the SFR’s ability to detect buried targets. The information provided in this paper will be useful to the radar community in exploring developmental standoff detection solutions for military applications such as obscured target detection of obstacles and explosive hazards.