IEEE ANTENNAS AND WIRELESS PROPAGATION LETTERS, VOL.
15, 2016
Single-Layer Wideband Microwave Absorber
Using Array of Crossed Dipoles
Debidas Kundu, Student Member, IEEE, Akhilesh Mohan, Member, IEEE,
and Ajay Chakrabarty, Senior Member, IEEE
Abstract—In this letter, a single-layer wideband absorber with
compact thickness is proposed, and its ability to reduce the radar
cross section (RCS) is investigated. The absorber consists of two-
dimensional array of conductive crossed dipoles with lumped
resistor elements on the top of a single-layer FR4 substrate, backed
by continuous metallic layer. Simple methodologies for design and
analysis of the absorber are presented. The thickness of the fab-
ricated sample is less than 0.077λL (wavelength at the lowest
cutoff frequency). It offers the 10-dB reflection reduction band-
width of 70.7% (5.3–11.2 GHz) and full width at half-maximum
(FWHM) absorption bandwidth of 104.76% (3.75–12 GHz). The
experimentally demonstrated performance of the absorber shows
good agreement with the numerical simulations.
Index Terms—Circuit analog absorber, microwave absorber,
single-layer absorber, thickness-to-bandwidth ratio.
I. I NTRODUCTION
A BSORBERS can be defined as spatial filters that nei-
ther transmit nor reflect electromagnetic signals of a
specific band of frequencies. Most of the applications of elec-
tromagnetic absorbers, such as radar signature reduction of
objects, electromagnetic interference (EMI) reduction, radar
absorbing materials (RAM) in stealth technology, etc., require
minimum thickness and maximum bandwidth with certain level
of reflection reduction. To meet such requirements, classic pla-
nar absorbers like Salisbury screens [1] or multilayer Jaumann
absorbers [2] are not good choices. While Salisbury screen is
narrowband with one homogeneous resistive layer a quarter-
wavelength away from the ground plane, Jaumann absorber has
multiple homogeneous resistive sheets a quarter-wavelength
apart from the ground plane, which makes it wideband at
the cost of excessive thickness. The performance of planar
absorbers is much improved when the homogeneous resis-
tive pattern is replaced by periodic frequency selective surface
(FSS) pattern [3]. The FSS pattern may be conductive or
resistive in nature.
The type of absorber with conductive periodic FSS of sub-
wavelength unit on top of a low-loss dielectric, which is backed
by perfect conducting ground plane, is known as metamaterial
absorber [4]–[6]. This kind of absorber is ultrathin (thickness
Manuscript received June 26, 2015; revised December 29, 2015; accepted
January 06, 2016. Date of publication January 13, 2016; date of current version
September 02, 2016.
The authors are with the Department of Electronics and Electrical
Communication Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT
Kharagpur), Kharagpur 721302, India (e-mail: debidas@ece.iitkgp.ernet.in;
am@ece.iitkgp.ernet.in; bassein@ece.iitkgp.ernet.in).
Color versions of one or more of the figures in this letter are available online
at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/LAWP.2016.2517663
1536-1225 © 2016 IEEE. Personal use is permitted, but republication/redistribution requires IEEE permission.
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1589
λ0 ), but its main limitation is inherent narrow bandwidth due
to the resonance-based absorption mechanism [4]. The absorp-
tion bandwidths of these absorbers are enhanced either by using
multiple resonators in a single-layer unit cell [5] or using multi-
layer structure based on destructive interference [6]. However,
with the increase of bandwidth, these absorbers suffer from
deficiency of absorption level, mainly due to the difficulty of
impedance matching with free space for each resonant peak,
high quality factor, and inadequate resonance loss.
The absorbers with resistive FSS, which usually have wide
bandwidth, are of two types: circuit analog absorbers (CAAs)
and capacitive circuit absorbers (CCAs). The absorbers with
bandstop-resonating resistive FSSs are known as CAAs [3],
[7]–[9], whereas absorbers with low-pass square resistive
patches are called CCAs [10], [11]. Almost all of the works
on CAAs and CCAs try to achieve more bandwidth with the
help of circuit analysis [9], [12] and impedance locus opti-
mization in Smith chart [3], [9], [10]. However, systematic
synthesis and analysis of them are rarely reported. Many of the
reported CAAs or CCAs have multiple layers [9], [10] or single
layer with spacers above the substrate [7] for increasing band-
width, which create manufacturing complexity. Furthermore,
the realized thickness of these absorbers is far greater than the
theoretical limit of minimum thickness [19].
In this letter, design of a single-layer CAA with lumped resis-
tors and conductive crossed dipoles as FSS is presented using a
simple synthesis technique. Its absorption performance is insen-
sitive to the change in polarization, stable for oblique incidence,
and efficient for bistatic radar cross section (RCS) reduction.
The absorber has single-layer architecture with optimum thick-
ness, minimum number of lumped resistances in a unit cell, and
it uses low-cost, easily available FR4 substrate.
II. D ESIGN OF THE S INGLE -L AYER A BSORBER
For the top plane of the CAA, conductive crossed dipoles are
considered as FSS, while the resistive loss is provided by the
lumped resistors attached on either sides of each dipole. The
FSS pattern is supported by metal-backed FR4 substrate having
εr = 4.4, and tan δ = 0.02. The configuration of the absorber
is shown in Fig. 1(a)–(c), and the synthesis technique is detailed
in the Sections II-A–II-D.
A. Step 1: Identification of the Equivalent Circuit
It is known that the equivalent circuit of the unit cell of a
CAA is a series R, L, C in parallel with a shorted transmission
 1590 IEEE ANTENNAS AND WIRELESS PROPAGATION LETTERS, VOL. 15, 2016

with crossed dipole of thin metallic strips, the frequency behav-

ior and equivalent circuit parameters depend on the shape, size,
and spacing of the elements. The cross can be separated into
vertical and horizontal strips. For a particular polarized incident
wave, a strip will produce inductive reactance when E-field is
parallel to the strip, and capacitive susceptance when E-field is
vertical to it [14], [15]. The normalized inductive reactance for
crossed dipole is given by
   
p πw
X(w) = F (p, w, λ) = cos θ ln csc +G (p, w, λ) .
λ 2p
(1)

The normalized capacitive susceptance produced will be the

sum of two susceptances, B(g) and Bd (w), given by
w
B(g) = 4 F (p, g, λ) (2)
p
d
Bd (w) = 4 F (p, p − w, λ) (3)
p
Fig. 1. Proposed absorber: (a) three dimensional geometry, (b) side view,   
4
(c) top view, and (d) equivalent circuit of a unit cell.
1 
(1−β 2 )2 1− β4 (A+ +A− )+4β 2 A+ A−
where G (p, w, λ) = 2
× 2
 
2 4
 ,
1− β4 +β 2 1+ β2 − β8 (A+ +A− )+2β 6 A+ A−

Fig. 2. (a) Geometry of synthesized FSS supported by FR-4 substrate.
(b) Bandstop resonating performance in full-wave and circuit simulation.
line section, as shown in Fig. 1(d). The series combination
stands for resistive FSS layer, and the shorted transmission line
section is the equivalent of the grounded dielectric slab. The
thickness of the substrate is calculated as 4.47 mm to operate
the absorber at mid-frequency of 8 GHz [3].
B. Step 2: Determination of Circuit Parameters of the FSS
When the lumped resistors and the ground are removed from
the unit cell of the proposed absorber, it represents a bandstop
resonating FSS [Fig. 2(a)] [3]. The equivalent L, C values of
this bandstop FSS of conductive crossed dipoles are determined
by circuit simulation with a view to produce the transmis-
sion minimum around 8 GHz. The optimal values obtained in
Agilent ADS are L = 8.2 nH, C = 0.05 pF, Rd = 5 Ω; where
Rd is considered here to attribute for the dielectric loss of the
substrate and ohmic loss of the conducting FSS. The circuit
simulation response is shown in Fig. 2(b).
C. Step 3: Synthesis of the FSS
In synthesizing the FSS of the conductive crossed dipoles
from the equivalent LC parameters, the expressions for metallic
strip gratings in free space [13] are used. For freestanding FSS
A± =  1
2
 − 1, and β = sin(πw/2p).
1± 2p sin
λ
θ
−( p cos
λ
θ
)
Here, θ is the incident angle, λ is the wavelength, p is the
period, w = width of the conducting strips, d = length of
the finite strips, g = (p − d) = gap spacing, B(g) is the gap
capacitance between the ends of the two conductors, and
Bd (w) is the capacitance between the parallel conductors
spaced (p − w) apart. Using (1)–(3), the dimensions of the
crossed dipole FSS with a particular period of unit cell (p)
can be synthesized from the known lumped parameters and
resonant frequency. The period must be taken as p < λ to avoid
grating lobes and higher-order Floquet modes in the response.
However, when the dielectric substrate is attached as a support,
it plays a significant role in increasing the susceptance values,
and consequently the dimensions of the FSS are fine-tuned.
The obtained dimensions are p = 13.6 mm, g = 2 mm,
and w = 1.3 mm. The full-wave transmission response of
the synthesized FSS with dielectric substrate is shown in
Fig. 2(b). It matches satisfactorily with its equivalent circuit
model.
D. Step 4: Synthesis of the Absorber
The circuit parameters of the FSS are applied to the equiva-
lent transmission line model of the absorber. In the transmission
line model of the absorber, the remaining unknown param-
eter is the resistance (R). The value of the resistance R is
obtained using Agilent ADS as 265 Ω for the best reflectiv-
ity reduction and bandwidth enhancement. The thickness of
the substrate and the dimensions of the FSS are determined
in Steps 1 and 3, respectively. In a unit cell, the lumped
resistors (RL ) are attached on either side of each dipole of
the FSS [shown in Fig. 1(b)]. To incorporate that, the length
and width of the FSS are optimized furthermore in order to
keep the inductive and capacitive value unchanged. Using the
trust region framework optimization technique in CST MWS,

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 KUNDU et al.: SINGLE-LAYER WIDEBAND MICROWAVE ABSORBER USING ARRAY OF CROSSED DIPOLES
Fig. 3. (a) Performance of the proposed absorber. (b) Effect of variation of
lumped resistance over reflection response of the absorber.
Fig. 4. Power loss density distribution at (a) 7.1, (b) 8.2, and (c) 10.3 GHz.
Upper and lower halves are for TE and TM polarized incidence, respectively
(xz- and yz-cut planes are at the middle of the 2 × 2 unit cell).
the unit cell parameters of the absorber are obtained as p =
13.6 mm, d = 13.2 mm, w = 1.5 mm, s = 0.65 mm, and r =
3.25 mm along with lumped resistance value, RL = 130 Ω. The
reflection coefficient of the absorber and its equivalent circuit
[Fig. 1(d)] are shown in Fig. 3(a). To show the importance of
the value of lumped resistors on reflection reduction and band-
width enhancement, parametric variation is conducted in CST
MWS. From Fig. 3(b), it is observed that the absorber exhibits
the best performance when RL = 130 Ω. This proves that there
is a simple relation as R = Rd + 2RL between the resistance
value of equivalent circuit and each lumped resistor of ver-
tical (or horizontal) strip for TE or (TM) polarized incident
wave.
III. A NALYSIS OF THE A BSORBER
A. Physical Analysis
Power-loss density distributions at the two reflection min-
ima (7.1 GHz, 10.3 GHz) and mid-frequency (8.2 GHz) of the
reflection reduction response are plotted in Fig. 4 using finite
integration technique (FIT) in CST MWS to get a physical
insight of the absorption phenomenon. It is observed that the
loss density (dBmW/m2 ) is maximum around the resistors that
are attached to the vertical strips for TE polarized incidence
and horizontal strips for TM polarized incidence. As frequency
is increased, the loss distribution at the gaps between the con-
ductors is increased. It is also observed from xz- and yz-cut
planes that the power is confined mostly within the dielectric
layer. Thus, along with resistors and conductive gaps, the thick-
ness and loss of the dielectric play vital role in absorbing the
incident power.
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1591
Fig. 5. Absorption (%) response of the proposed absorber for (a) TE and
(b) TM polarized incident waves with different incidence angles.
Fig. 6. Bistatic RCS of the absorber for (a) vertical and (b) horizontal polarized
incident waves at 8.2 GHz.
B. Sensitivity to Oblique Incidence
The absorption is calculated using the following equation and
plotted in Fig. 5 for TE and TM polarized waves with different
incidence angle:
 
A(ω) = 1 − |S11 (ω)|2 + |S21 (ω)|2 (4)
where A (ω) is the absorbed power, |S11 (ω)|2 is the reflected
power, | S 21 (ω)|2 is the transmitted power, and ω is the
angular frequency. The response exhibits that the absorber
is polarization-insensitive and shows stable performance for
oblique incidence. This can be attributed to the four-fold rota-
tional symmetry of the unit cell of the absorber.
C. RCS Analysis
The bistatic RCS as a function of reflection angle at 8.2 GHz
has been plotted in Fig. 6 for the absorber with cross section
of 272 × 272 mm2 (20 × 20 unit cells) and a PEC plate of
the same size. The incident angle is θi = 00 , φi = 00 for ver-
tically polarized and θi = 00 , φi = 900 for horizontally polar-
ized incident. It is observed that the RCS of the absorber
sample is reduced from the PEC plate for every reflection
angle. This proves that the absorption of incident beam, rather
than diffraction, and scattering in other direction from the
absorber is responsible for reflection reduction phenomenon in
the absorber.
IV. E XPERIMENTAL R ESULTS
The proposed absorber is fabricated [Fig. 7(a)] with an array
of 14 × 14 unit cells (size: 190.4 × 190.4 mm2 ) to experimen-
tally validate the numerical reflection results. The reflection
coefficient, measured using free space method inside anechoic
chamber, is shown in Fig. 7(b). It shows good agreement with
the full-wave simulation. A slight discrepancy can be attributed
 1592
Fig. 7. (a) Photograph of the fabricated absorber (inset: an enlarged portion).
(b) Simulated and measured reflection response of the absorber for normal
incidence.
TABLE I
P ERFORMANCE C OMPARISON
∗ [6] J. Sun, L. Liu, G. Dong, and J. Zhou, “An extremely broad band meta-
20-dB reflection reduction bandwidth
to the high-frequency parasitic effect and soldering process of
SMD chip resistors.
In Table I, the performance of the proposed single-layer
absorber is compared to other state-of-the-art, wideband
absorbers, reported in the literature. From the table, it is evi-
dent that our proposed absorber is compact as compared to [7],
[8], [16], and [17], and thinner than [7]–[9], [17], and [18]. It
requires less number of resistors in a unit cell, and therefore it
is cost-effective. It offers satisfactory 10-dB reflection reduction
fractional bandwidth (70.7%) even though it has a single layer
and simple unit cell geometry. For a physically realizable, non-
magnetic absorber, the minimum theoretical thickness (dmin )
can be obtained from the following equation [19]:
 
 λmax 
 λmin ln |R(λ)|dλ
dmin > (5)
2π 2
where R is the reflection coefficient and λ is the free-space
wavelength. The minimum thickness for our absorber is cal-
culated as dmin = 3.94 mm [11]. The proximity of the realized
thickness (dreal = 4.47 mm) compared to the minimum theo-
retical thickness is evaluated using the proximity factor
 
dreal − dmin
P = × 100. (6)
dmin
From (6), it is found that the realized thickness of the proposed
absorber is only 13.45% thicker than the minimum possible
thickness.
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IEEE ANTENNAS AND WIRELESS PROPAGATION LETTERS, VOL. 15, 2016
V. C ONCLUSION
A wideband absorber with compact thickness is designed.
Simple synthesis technique is used to calculate the dimen-
sions of the absorber. The thickness of the absorber is only
0.077λL (wavelength at the lowest cutoff frequency), while
its FWHM absorption bandwidth covers total C–X-band fre-
quency range. Its absorbing performance is analyzed in terms of
various aspects like change of polarization and incidence angle,
bistatic RCS, power loss density distribution, etc. The measured
reflectivity of the fabricated sample shows good agreement with
simulation result.
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