Ricerc@Sapienza

We propose a simple phased-array design based on a Fabry-Perot cavity antenna for the generation of a highly-directive pencil beam steerable along two directions in 3-D space. Each array element generates an element pattern in the far-field obtained through the excitation of a dominant cylindrical TM leaky wave inside the cavity. Hence, the resulting conical pattern is combined with the array factor of a N × N square or circular arrangement of ideal vertical electric dipoles.

Directive pencil beams scannable in both elevation and azimuth are obtained through a planar phased array placed inside a Fabry-Perot cavity. The key element of the proposed approach is the exploitation of a conical element pattern (EP) with high directivity in elevation, obtained through the excitation of a dominant, weakly attenuated cylindrical TM leaky wave of azimuthal order n = 0 by means of a simple coaxial probe. Then, a highly reduced number N of such sources are arranged to form a phased array radiating directive pencil beams.