Planar antenna arrays using a feed network with nonradiative dielectric (NRD) waveguide

Large planar antenna arrays typically suffer from increasing loss due to a planar feed network. A solution to this problem is the application of lower loss feed networks. This contribution evaluates nonradiative dielectric (NRD) guides as transmission line medium for planar antennas. Design and results for three different types of antennas consisting of an NRD network and planar antenna elements are presented, including a simple pencil beam antenna, a dual polarization antenna, and a receiver array scanned by changing the LO frequency.