Backfire-to-endfire scanning capability of a balanced metamaterial structure based on slotted ferrite-filled waveguide

Abstract

In this paper, a new metamaterial structure that consists of a normally magnetized ferrite-filled rectangular waveguide with a long slot on the center of the broad wall is proposed. The analytical dispersion relation for this structure is derived through the transverse resonance method (TRM). The unique dispersion properties, such as the inherent balanced composite right/left-handed (CRLH) response and its magnetically tunable behavior, are studied and validated by some simulated results. As an application of the proposed metamaterial structure, a magnetically backfire-to-endfire scanning leaky-wave antenna (LWA) that is capable of both fixed-bias frequency scanning and fixed-frequency bias scanning is presented. Based on the simulated results, by changing the magnetic DC bias of the ferrite in range of 1192–1336 Oe, the radiation pattern of the proposed LWA can be scanned from about 52 to −54 degrees. The main advantages of the proposed structure in comparison to previous metamaterial LWAs consist of ease of design and fabrication and no use of any mechanical or electrical switches.

KEYWORDS:

• Balanced metamaterial response
• magnetically beam scanning
• slot waveguide antenna
• transverse resonance method

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.