An improved calculation procedure for the radiation pattern of a cylindrical leaky-wave antenna of finite size

A method is given for calculating the radiation pattern of a finite-size cylindrical leaky-wave antenna structure consisting of a single source near a planar surface that supports leaky-wave propagation. The method accounts for the finite radius of the planar surface by subtracting the radiation from that part of the leaky wave that lies beyond the physical surface, from the exact radiation pattern corresponding to an infinite planar surface. Experimental results obtained for a leaky-wave structure consisting of multiple dielectric layers above a ground plane confirm the improved accuracy of the method, particularly for the part of the radiation pattern away from the peak