Characterization of leaky wave antenna and active gain enhancement

Abstract

The leaky wave antenna has been characterized using the 3-D FDTD method, and its employment of the active gain enhancement scheme has been experimentally investigated. The structure analyzed in the FDTD analysis is a rectangular dielectric rod periodically loaded with metal strips, and launching effects are included into the analysis. In the active gain enhancement experiment, the antenna is made of a periodically loaded microstrip line with active gain elements placed to compensate for radiation as well as waveguide loss. This novel antenna possesses a larger effective aperture, higher gain, and narrower beam width as compared to a passive antenna with similar dimensions. Results of the FDTD analysis and active gain enhancement investigation are confirmed by experiments.