A Dual-Polarized Leaky Wave Antenna With Polarization Reconfigurability and Electronically Beam Scanning for Millimeter-Wave Applications

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Abstract
This paper presents a novel dual-polarized leaky-wave antenna (LWA) that integrates dual-channel operation, polarization reconfigurability, and electronically controlled beam scanning into a simple structure. The architecture consists of a radiating superstrate, a 90° hybrid coupler, and gap waveguides (GWs). Two rows of patch elements on the superstrate are excited through orthogonal slots etched on a shared ground. PIN diodes and their electronically controlled network are placed beneath the slots to tune the radiation state of each element. The 90° hybrid coupler, implemented via a metal pin array, is integrated into the GWs to form the feed structure. A binary hologram control method based on the holographic principle is proposed, allowing real-time switching of polarization states and beam directions through the manipulation of PIN diodes. As a result, the antenna supports simultaneous dual-channel operation with four pairs of reconfigurable orthogonal polarizations—right-hand/left-hand circular polarization (RHCP/LHCP), LHCP/RHCP, horizontal/vertical polarization (HP/VP), and VP/HP—with independent beam scanning over a 100° range in each polarization state. A prototype is fabricated and measured, validating polarization switching among all four states and beam scanning from –50° to 50°. Owing to its dual-channel operation, polarization reconfigurability, and beam-scanning capability, the proposed antenna is a promising candidate for millimeter-wave applications.
Funding Information
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (62171019)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (U2241204)

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