Publication Date

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Committee Members

Yong Pei (Committee Member), Zhiqiang Wu (Committee Member), Yan Zhuang (Advisor)

Degree Name

Master of Science in Engineering (MSEgr)

Abstract

Leaky-wave antennas are a class of antennas which apply a traveling wave on a guiding structure as the main radiation mechanism. The properties of leaky-wave antennas are light weight, easy to fabricate, and readily integrated into conventional millimeter-wave systems. These features make leaky-wave antennas attractive. The most important characteristic is that the antenna can steer the beam direction through changing the operating frequency rather than switching the antenna itself. Variety types of leaky-wave antennas have been introduced and developed during the past 70 years. However, there is no existing leaky-wave antenna which can widely steer the beam scanning angle by changing smaller operating frequency. In this thesis, a portable and powerful leaky-wave antenna is designed, implemented, and demonstrated for scanning application. We change the guiding structure by applying a high dielectric constant material to produce a low-cost, small size, light weight, and high sensitivity leaky-wave antenna. The designed antenna can reach large scan angles with small frequency tuned. The unique features of such leaky-wave antenna are: (1) it is a light-weight, small-size, and portable antenna; (2) by slightly varying the operating frequency from 2.4 GHz to 2.7 GHz, 70 degree scanning angles can be achieved continuously; (3) it is an agile antenna; with 500 MHz operating frequency tuned, the direction of the beam can be easily changed; (4) it could be used as a low-cost phase array antenna.

Page Count

47

Department or Program

Department of Electrical Engineering

Year Degree Awarded

2012


Share

COinS