Antenna Polarization Characterization with Vector Network Analyzer Measurements

This paper proposes the identification of polarization characteristics of antennas by using vector network analyzer (VNA) measurements. Parameters such as the axial ratio, phase difference and tilt angle are measured and calculated, which are sufficient for the characterization of the polarization ellipse. The proposed procedure is intended for measuring antennas in laboratory environments, for example antennas with uncertain polarization properties, and for comparing expected and measured parameters. Experiment results are presented, which agree to expected values.