Numerical solution of nonuniform surface wave antennas

An integral equation is used to numerically study microwave surface wave antennas. The source is chosen as a horizontal magnetic line current which is placed parallel to a planar surface having a one-dimensional nonuniform surface reactance. The integral equation is numerically solved exactly taking full account of radiation from both the feed and the termination, and their mutual interaction. By varying the profile of the surface reactance and the antenna length, radiation characteristics such as directivity, beam width and sidelobe level are discussed. The optimum excess phase delay is found to be aboutpi/3for an antenna length of3lambda_{0}, gradually increasing topi/2for a length of8lambda_{0}. When a feed transition in the reactance profile is used to achieve a good surface wave launching efficiency near the source, the first sidelobe can be reduced to less than-10 dB below the main beam level with little effect upon the directivity. Optimum reactance profiles are suggested for antennas from3lambda_{0}to8lambda_{0}long.