Ultra-wideband, multi-mode, low-profile, endfed antenna

An end-fed antenna, the antenna comprising:

• an imaged dielectric rod antenna with a dielectric body comprising an imaged feed region, an imaged guide section, an imaged radiation region, and one or more imaged cores of a relatively higher dielectric constant material,
• wherein the imaged feed region comprises a TEM horn having a launcher disposed thereon, the launcher being in communication with a feed and configured to excite a HE11 fundamental guided wave on the imaged guide section disposed adjacent thereto,
• wherein the imaged guide section is located between the imaged feed region and the imaged radiation region and has a guide section thickness that is substantially a constant thickness,
• wherein the imaged radiation region has a radiation region thickness that tapers down from the imaged guide section thickness along its length,
• wherein the imaged radiation region is configured to radiate the guided wave,
• wherein said one or more imaged cores increases in dielectric constant as they are more centrally located, and
• wherein the dielectric body is configured to be disposed on and coupled to a conducting ground plane.

An end-fed antenna, the antenna comprising:

• an imaged dielectric rod antenna including a dielectric body comprising a feed region, a guide section, and a radiation region, wherein a bottom surface of the dielectric body is disposed on and coupled to a conducting ground plane;
• and
• one or more conductive, resistive, capacitive, or inductive elements disposed on a top surface of the guide section,
• a TEM horn within the feed region having a launcher disposed thereon, the launcher being in communication with a feed and configured to excite a He11 fundamental guided wave on the guide section disposed adjacent thereto,
• wherein the guide section is located between the feed region and the radiation region and has a guide section thickness that is substantially a constant thickness,
• wherein the radiation region has a radiation region thickness that tapers down from the guide section thickness along its length,
• wherein the radiation region is configured to radiate the guided wave,
• wherein the resistive, capacitive, or inductive elements are connected to each other and to the launcher with resistive or conductive strips, wherein the resistive or conductive strips are left unconnected, or connected with capacitive or inductive structures,
• wherein the launcher is split into at least two launcher segments, and
• wherein a gap between the launcher segments is gradually increased to form a Vivaldi notch radiator configured to operate when the feed is stimulated in an odd mode and wherein equal phase stimulus of said launcher segments is configured to generate fundamental mode radiation with polarization normal to the conducting ground plane while out of phase stimulus is configured to excite a Vivaldi radiation mode with polarization parallel to the conducting ground plane.