Thinned Array Inspired Quasi-Uniform Leaky-Wave Antenna With Low Side-Lobe Level

In this letter, a new quasi-uniform leaky-wave antenna is proposed. The structure of antenna is based on an air-filled rectangular waveguide in which the radiation occurs through transverse slots on the broad wall of the waveguide. This antenna is designed using a systematic method based on the thinned array theory in order to achieve a low side-lobe level (SLL). The designed antenna radiates at center frequency of 10 GHz at θ = 60° with the SLL of about -20 dB. The proposed antenna scans a part of forward quadrant with low SLL and high gain over the frequency band of 9.8-10.2 GHz. Simulated and measurement results of the antenna are investigated; there is a good consistency between measurement and simulation results.