New leaky-wave antennas using surface-wave launchers and planar metallic grating lenses

Planar metallic grating lenses for SW divergence and bound, plane-wave generation are utilized in the design of leaky-wave antennas (LWAs) for millimeter-wave frequencies of operation. By using a printed surface-wave launcher (SWL) feed and circular and straight metallic strips, cylindrical leaky-waves (LWs) can be excited on a planar grounded dielectric slab (GDS). Specifically, by the addition of these planar lenses SWs can be refracted, altering the phase velocity and field distribution of the guided wave, realizing a larger effective aperture. Increased gain values can be observed in the far field by such passive beam pattern control. These 2-D LWAs may be desirable for their compatibility with other planar designs, low cost, and directive beam patterns, thus making them attractive for radar systems and satellite communications.