This paper presents a terahertz beamforming network based on a nonlocal lens with a 2D beam-scanning demonstration through leaky-wave antennas. The proposed design methodology is novel, to the best of our knowledge, in the aspect of using unconventional optimization parameters to significantly reduce the phase error associated with this class of beamformers. In this approach, a nonuniform contour defined by Fourier series expansion is used as a new optimization parameter to significantly decrease the phase error over a larger scan-angle than that in the previous works. The proposed system is a good candidate for industrial and security applications such as automotive radar sensors and electromagnetic THz imaging, thanks to its extensive 2D scanning range:
−
68
∘
to 0° in the elevation plane and
−
45
∘
to
+
45
∘
in the azimuth plane over the frequency range of 140–180 GHz.
This paper presents a new layered dielectric leaky-wave antenna (LWA) for the sub-terahertz (THz) frequency range capable of efficient operation at the broadside with a wide beam scanning angle and stable gain. It consists of a conductor-backed alumina dielectric image line (DIL) with two different dielectric layers mounted on top of each other for performance improvement. The upper layer is a high permittivity RO6010 substrate to enhance the directivity as a superstrate and the lower layer is a low-permittivity RT/duroid 5880 substrate stacked on the alumina DIL to prevent the probable excitation of higher-order modes in the DIL channel. A 15-element linear array of radiating overlapped discs is used to mitigate the open stop-band (OSB) problem, fed by the mentioned waveguide, was designed and simulated at frequencies around 170 GHz. The dominant mode of the layered dielectric waveguide is perturbed by the infinite space harmonics generated by two sets of overlapped discs periodically sandwiched between the layers. It exhibited a relatively wide impedance bandwidth of 28.19% (157.5–206 GHz). Its radiation mechanism has been widely studied through simulations. The results revealed that the antenna provides a wide scanning capability through the broadside from −23° to 38°, covering the frequency range between 157.5 GHz and 201.5 GHz. For an array with 15 radiating elements, the simulated peak gain in the band is 15 dBi and the broadside gain is 13.6 dBi at 172 GHz.
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