Open AccessGain‐enhanced EH 1 ‐mode microstrip leaky‐wave antenna with periodical loading of shorting pins
Author(s) -
Xie Danpeng,
Zhu Lei,
Zhang Xiao,
Liu NengWu
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
iet microwaves, antennas and propagation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.555
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1751-8733
pISSN - 1751-8725
DOI - 10.1049/iet-map.2017.0459
Subject(s) - microstrip antenna , microstrip , mode (computer interface) , high gain antenna , materials science , antenna (radio) , leaky wave antenna , acoustics , optoelectronics , electrical engineering , electronic engineering , physics , optics , engineering , computer science , operating system
A gain‐enhanced EH 1 ‐mode microstrip leaky‐wave antenna (MLWA) with periodical loading of shorting pins to improve the radiation gain is proposed. Owing to the equivalent shunt inductive effect of the periodically installed shorting pins, the cut‐off frequency of the proposed pin‐loaded EH 1 ‐mode microstrip line (MSL) is effectively tuned up; in other words, the lateral electric dimension of the proposed MLWA is effectively enlarged. Therefore, the distance of a pair of in‐phase equivalent magnetic‐current line sources in two sides of the MSL is widened, resulting to increase the radiation gain of the proposed MLWA. For the sake of theoretical explanation, an analytical model is built up for analysis. Then, numerical investigation is executed to reveal the effect of pins position on the tuning ratio of both the EH 1 ‐mode cut‐off frequencies and strip widths. After extensive analysis, a pin‐loaded EH 1 ‐mode MLWA under width tuning ratio of 1.78 and periodicity of 10.0 mm is designed, fabricated, and tested. Simulated and measured results both demonstrate that the radiation gain could be successfully raised up from 10.1 dBi (conventional EH 1 ‐mode MLWA) to 13.1 dBi (the proposed pin‐loaded one) at the same operating frequency of 4.0 GHz.