In this Letter, an investigation is performed on the utilization of nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cells in the design of leaky-wave antennas (LWAs) for millimeter-wave (mm-wave) radiation in order to dynamically control its beam scanning capability at a single frequency. A NLC compound is sandwiched between two single-sided copper-plated substrates allowing a traveling wave to be guided through a substrate-integrated waveguide. The tuning capabilities of the structure, based on the use of K15 or GT7-29001 as the middle layer, were evaluated for different biasing conditions demonstrating the associated dynamic scanning of the main beam. A quasi-periodic LWA was designed to operate in the 5G mm-wave band, thus supporting a fast-wave propagation with tunable phase constant and dynamic beam steering at a single frequency. The simulated results clearly illustrate a dynamic beam scanning range of 45° through the use of an external bias voltage ranging between 0 and 40 V. These results are quite promising creating a fertile ground for the utilization of NLCs in the design and fabrication of LWAs for 5G wireless communication networks.

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In this paper, a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) quasi-uniform leaky-wave antenna (LWA) is proposed for a dynamically steerable beam design at a single frequency through the use of a thin layer of nematic liquid crystal (LC) underneath the substrate. The orientation of the LC molecules, and therefore the effective dielectric properties of the LC cell, is controlled via an externally low-frequency, low-strength bias voltage. The radiation occurs through a series of closely placed transverse slots etched on the top plane of the SIW. This antenna was designed to operate based on the fundamental space harmonic (n = 0) in the frequency range between 24.25 GHz and 29 GHz, which covers one of the future 5G frequency bands to be deployed in some parts of the world. This novel antenna design concept was verified numerically using a commercial software based on the Finite Element Method (FEM), and the results are presented and discussed herein.

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