Beam Focusing with a Conformal Leaky-Wave Antenna Described by a Spline Curve

In this paper, a conformal leaky-wave antenna (CLWA) based on an aperiodic array of slots on a spline curve is analyzed and validated with full-wave simulations. A spline curve is a mathematical object that is interpolated from a set of node points. The leaky-wave antenna consists of an array of slots on a double-grounded dielectric slab described by the spline profile. The contribution to the far field of each slot is engineered by varying the periodicity along the arc length of the structure to tailor the phase profile over the radiating aperture. The proposed design permits the control of the beam direction along complex shapes. The design procedure is validated using full-wave simulations and demonstrates the CLWA radiating a main beam around broadside.