Leaky Wave Antenna Using an Inverted Strip Dielectric Waveguide

We present experimental results on a leaky wave antenna built from an inverted strip dielectric waveguide, in a frequency range going from 64 to 74 GHz. We study the frequency scanning for inclined backward beams, and the variations of gain and 3 dB beamwidth. We propose an approximate analysis for calculating the main lobe angle, and the radiating space harmonic's amplitude. Comparison between experimental and theoretical results makes appear that the angle's value (for inclined beams) is very sensitive to machining tolerances.