High gain microstrip linear array antenna based on optimized layout of artificial magnetic conductor units

High performance microstrip linear array antenna is demonstrated in this article through the optimization of the surrounding artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) units, which effectively improve the gain as well as the backward radiation. The in-plane design of the AMC units also achieves low-profile characteristic of the antenna structure, and therefore significantly simplify the fabrication processing. Systematic study of the AMC units, including the electromagnetic modeling, fabrication, measurement, and architecture reoptimization based on the performance discrepancy analysis, is implemented carefully. The best measured data of the demonstrative sample antenna show 14.5 dBi maximum gain which is enhanced by ~18% over the entire operating frequency band from 21.93 to 25 GHz compared to that of the controlled sample based on conventional design. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.