A Case Study on the Bandwidth Broadening of a Skeletal Biconical Antenna

In the scope of Electromagnetism and its applications, antennas stand out for making the transmission and reception of radio waves feasible. The design of an antenna depends on the requirements of the intended application, which involve aspects related to the way it should radiate or receive radio waves, and also its behavior as a circuit element. Under this criterion, in particular, the antenna is regarded as an impedance, the response of which varies with frequency. Since the impedance of most of the antennas varies significantly with frequency, that is, it has narrowband response, designing broadband antennas usually requires additional effort. This article aims to provide a case study on the use of some of the simplest band broadening techniques for antennas. In particular, emphasis is given to the use of impedance matching networks based on LC filters, transformers and minor changes in the antenna structure, such as the use of parasitic elements. The biconical skeletal antenna is taken as reference structure, with results that show the efficacy of those techniques mainly when applied together.