Reflection coefficient of a parallel-plate waveguide illuminating a conducting sheet

The TEM mode reflection coefficient is analyzed for a symmetric parallel-plate waveguide composed of adjacent conducting wedges and radiating into a perfectly reflecting sheet oriented normal to the guide axis. Using the wedge diffraction method, the reflection from the conducting sheet is treated in terms of successive contributions or bounces that describe the interacting waves between the waveguide wedges and the reflecting sheet. For guides with small wedge angles (less than 75 degrees), the interacting waves can be treated as plane waves, and thus the reflection coefficient can be obtained through what is referred to as the self-consistent procedure. For guides with large wedge angles each of the interacting bounce waves can be resolved into component cylindrical waves. The total reflection from the sheet is then obtained by summing these iterative contributions. Calculated results from this analysis are in good agreement with measurements.