A Low-Sidelobe Fully Metallic Ridge Gap Waveguide Antenna Array for W-Band Applications

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics and Applied Electrophysics
• Antenna Theory and Design
• Millimeter-wave Technology

Background:

• The demand for high-performance antennas in W-band frequencies is increasing for applications like radar and 6G communications.
• Existing antenna designs often face challenges in achieving high gain, low sidelobes, and high efficiency simultaneously.
• Ridge gap waveguide technology offers a promising solution for developing advanced antenna structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and demonstrate a low-sidelobe, high-gain, and high-efficiency all-metal array antenna.
• To leverage ridge gap waveguide technology for improved antenna performance.
• To address the limitations of conventional antenna designs in the W-band spectrum.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a three-layer contactless metal structure.
• Integrated a stepped-ridge feeding network with Taylor amplitude distribution.
• Incorporated a higher-order mode resonant cavity for efficient power distribution and low-loss transmission.

Main Results:

• Achieved a reflection coefficient below -10 dB across 92.5-103.5 GHz.
• Demonstrated in-band gain exceeding 25.8 dBi with <1 dB fluctuation.
• Exceeded 78% radiation efficiency with sidelobe levels below -17.5 dB and cross-polarization better than -30 dB.

Conclusions:

• The proposed antenna meets the critical demands for high gain, low sidelobes, and high efficiency in W-band arrays.
• The ridge gap waveguide technology enables contactless metal structures, eliminating welding/bonding needs.
• The antenna shows significant potential for millimeter-wave radar, imaging, and 6G communication systems.