Broadband high-gain planar leaky-wave antennas

High-gain, low-cost, planar antennas have attracted a lot of interest in recent years, with regard to applications as fixed wireless access, satellite reception and various point-to-point radio links. Microstrip patch arrays have primarily been good candidates, but the complex feeding mechanisms degrade the antenna performance. A method of producing a high gain planar antenna with a simple feed has been proposed in an earlier study. This technique utilises a partially reflective surface (PRS) to introduce a leaky wave and beamforming effect when placed in front of a waveguide aperture in a ground plane. The partial reflection can be obtained from periodic arrays, also referred to as Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSSs) when used for their filtering properties. The research effort in this thesis focuses on the theory underpinning the beamforming effect of single and double-layer PRSs in a leaky-wave antenna configuration and subsequently on novel leaky-wave antenna designs. [Continues.]