Theoretical and experimental investigations on the ´stepped´ leaky-wave antennas

A topology of electronically-scannable radiators, the so-called ´stepped´ leaky-wave antenna, is investigated from both a theoretical and an experimental point of view. Based on quite simple but accurate procedures, the synthesis of this type of antenna is shown to be very effective, allowing the design of arbitrary aperture distributions. On this basis, prototypes of stepped antennas have been built and tested, both of nontapered and of tapered type for sidelobe control. The results of the measurements confirm the validity of the theoretical analysis and illustrate the interesting perspectives of this class of radiators for microwave and millimeter-wave applications.