Radiation Produced with Slow-Wave Fundamental Mode and Generalized Fundamental mode in Periodic Structures

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new perspective that radiation in periodic leaky-wave antennas is produced by the fundamental mode regardless of its phase velocity, challenging conventional theories that associate radiation with fast-wave space harmonics.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of generalized fundamental modes that have the same phase and attenuation constants as space harmonics, providing a more physically meaningful understanding of radiation in PLWAs.

Findings

Slow-wave fundamental modes can produce leaky-wave radiation.

The phase constant difference does not affect radiation pattern.

Generalized fundamental modes can replace space harmonics in analysis.

Abstract

This study suggests an idea that radiation in a periodic leaky-wave antenna (PLWA) should be considered to be produced with the fundamental mode, regardless of whether it is fast-wave or slow-wave. The idea is different from the conventional PLWA theory, which considers it a fact that a PLWA produces radiation with its fast-wave space harmonic when the fundamental mode is slow-wave. To elaborate the idea, it is proved that there is not an eigen-equation like Pythagorean theorem for the fundamental mode in PLWAs. Then a non-uniform structure antenna is designed to show that slow-wave modes can produce leaky-wave radiation. Again it is proved that the difference of the phase constants between a slow-wave fundamental mode and its fast-wave space harmonics has not any effect on the radiation pattern of a PLWA. Moreover, it is clarified that the fundamental mode has a more definite physical significance than space harmonics. Finally, a concept of generalized fundamental modes is proposed without using Fourier expansion. The generalized fundamental modes have the same phase and attenuation constants as any space harmonics, and have physical significance as the conventional fundamental mode. Therefore, it could replace the roles that the space harmonics used to play.