THz leaky-wave antenna with high-directivity and beam-steering using CPW CRLH metamaterial resonators

A novel coplanar waveguide (CPW)-based composite right/left-handed (CRLH) structure for terahertz (THz) leaky wave antennas (LWAs) application with high directivity and beam steering capability is introduced. The structure of the CRLH-TL was composed of a slot and embedded resonators termed metamaterial resonators using planar CPW technology. There were three steps involved to design the structure of metamaterial resonator and position distribution of metamaterial resonators in the composite right/left-handed (CRLH) transmission lines. First, equivalent circuit model method (also called "transmission line model method") was used to create an equivalent circuit model of the element of metamaterial resonator. Second, from the equivalent circuit model, it was possible to correspond to two basic equivalent circuit parameters "series impedance and shunt admittance" from artificial transmission line structure "CPW-based metamaterial resonator". Finally, the dimensions of metamaterial resonator were calculated and optimized according to the dispersion diagram. Meanwhile, ohmic loss needs to be considered because it is high at THz wave and above frequency region. The LWAs with CPW-based CRLH could implement high-directivity and backward-to-forward beam steering which differs from the conventional one. A balanced CPW CRLH LWA is designed at the transition frequency of 1485 GHz and performances of high-directivity and wide-angle continuous beam-steering are demonstrated.