Mutual coupling between parallel columns of periodic slots in a ground plane surrounded by dielectric slabs

Arrays of slots with arbitrary orientation in an infinite conducting plane that are infinitely periodic in one dimension and finitely periodic in another dimension are considered. The plane is bounded on each side of dielectric slabs of finite thickness and infinite extent. Single columns of slots are represented by equivalent magnetic scattering currents, which are solved for by the moment method. The mutual coupling (admittance) between slot columns in the presence of the stratified media is found by the array scanning method, which expresses the admittance as the average of the scan admittance of an artificially constructed doubly infinite array of slots over all real scan angles. The technique avoids the use of Sommerfeld integrals, but still gives rise to singularities at scan angles corresponding to the resonant excitation of surface waves. An analytical approximation removes these surface wave singularities, making numerical implementation of the method practical