A dual-band circularly-polarised leaky-wave antenna for mobile Ka-band satellite communications

This paper describes the design and testing of a circularly polarised dual-band leaky-wave antenna panel operating at 20 and 30 GHz. The compact panel fits into a low-profile user-terminal antenna concept intended for mobile bidirectional Ka-band satellite communications. As a proof-of-principle, a dual-band partially reflective surface (PRS) with a physical aperture of 60 mm by 60 mm was manufactured and tested. Numerical simulations and measurement results prove the principle of operation.