On the Full-Wave Simulation of Large, Multi-Scale Leaky Wave Metasurface Antennas

In recent years, there has been a notable surge in exploring metamaterials, revealing their diverse and advan-tageous responses applicable across various domains. Our specific focus lies in Leaky Wave Metasurface (MTS) antennas, which operate by converting traveling surface waves on the antenna, typically excited by a near-field source, into free space radiation waves through a leaky wave effect. Structurally, these antennas consist of a grounded dielectric layer with metallic pixels printed on the top surface in a sub-wavelength lat-tice configuration (M. Faenzi et al., “Metasurface Antennas: New Models, Applications and Realizations,” Sci Rep, vol. 9, p. 10178,2019. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46522-z). At each lattice site, precise adjust-ments of geometrical parameters are made to replicate the local reactance profile essential for constructive interference of leaky waves in free space. This careful design results in a continuous reactance pattern across the overall aperture, facilitated by several thousand unit elements.