A fixed frequency continuously beam-steerable leaky-wave antenna in microstrip
is disclosed. The antenna's radiating strips are loaded with identical shunt-mounted
variable-reactance elements, resulting in low reverse-bias-voltage requirements.
By varying the reverse-bias voltage across the variable-reactance elements, the
main beam of the antenna may be scanned continuously at fixed frequency. The antenna
may consist of an array of radiating strips, wherein each strip includes a variable-reactance
element. Changing the element's reactance value has a similar effect as changing
the length of the radiating strips. This is accompanied by a change in the phase
velocity of the electromagnetic wave traveling along the antenna, and results in
continuous fixed-frequency main-beam steering. Alternatively, the antenna may consist
of two long radiating strips separated by a small gap, wherein identical variable-reactance
elements are mounted in shunt across the gap at regular intervals. A continuous
change in the reactance value has a similar effect as changing continuously the
width of the radiating strips. This results in a continuous change in the phase
velocity of the electromagnetic wave traveling along the antenna, thereby achieving
continuous fixed-frequency main-beam steering.