Ricerc@Sapienza

This paper deals with phase gratings working in the paraxial domain. The profile of the optimum-efficiency beam multiplier with an arbitrary number of output diffraction orders is derived in an analytic form by exploiting methods from the calculus of variation. The output beams may be equi-intense or with arbitrary distribution of power. Numerical examples are given for different values of the number of output beams.

A radially periodic two-dimensional leaky-wave antenna is studied for the generation of zeroth-order Bessel beams within a limited spatial region and over a wide frequency range. The antenna design is wideband and based on an annular metal strip grating placed on top of a grounded dielectric slab, supporting a cylindrical leaky wave with a fast backward spatial harmonic.