A thin wall leaky waveguide antenna

A thin wall leaky waveguide antenna (TLA) obtained by replacing one of the narrow walls of a rectangular waveguide by a film of metal with thickness less than skin depth is discussed. The radiation pattern for the TLA has been evaluated by using the Kirchhoff-Huygens approach. In using this method, the dispersion relation has been solved for the complex propagation constants in a parallel plate waveguide with an imperfect plate, the thickness of which is less than the skin depth. Separate approximate expressions for the propagation constants for TEM, TM-n0, and TE-n0 modes in this parallel plate structure have been obtained by considering the mode of propagation as a perturbation of the waveguide mode. Experimental results at X-band frequencies with thin bismuth films are reported and are found to be in fair agreement with the theoretical results.