Wideband Dipole Array Loaded Substrate-Integrated Horn Array With Improved Sidelobe Performance

摘要

In this letter, a novel millimeter-wave substrate-integrated H-plane horn array is presented by combining a loaded dipole array and the gap substrate-integrated waveguide consisting of eight etched slits. The operating mechanism and design process of the array are investigated. A wide impedance bandwidth of 33%, a gain up to 14.6 dBi, and symmetrical radiation patterns with cross polarizations of less than -23 dB are verified experimentally by a 1 x 4 fabricated prototype. An improved sidelobe level of almost less than -10 dB is also achieved over the wideband even though the element spacing of the array is larger than two operating wavelengths. The proposed method is valuable for the realization of wideband high-gain planar horn arrays with large element spacing, which is an attractive candidate for millimeter-wave applications.