We present an approach to design wideband arrays of connected slots with artificial dielectric layers (ADLs) that allows to take into account both matching and polarization properties. The slots are fed by parallel plate waveguides (PPW s) that are co-designed with the ADLs to realize the desired matching bandwidth. An equivalent circuit model of the unit cell is derived, including both the feed and the AD Ls, providing a fast and accurate estimation of both the active reflection coefficient and the cross-polarization level. Such model enables a tradeoff between matching and polarization efficiency already at the early stages of the design.

The characteristic cross-polarization (X-pol) of wide angle impedance matching (WAIM) structures is investigated. The study considers an ideal linearly polarized current sheet in the presence of various dielectric and artificial dielectric superstrates, analyzed using transmission line models representing the stratified media. The main mechanism that causes increased X-pol is highlighted and linked to the anisotropy of the superstrate. We then propose an approach to reduce the X-pol by including vertical vias within the WAIM dielectrics, to control the vertical component of the permittivity tensor. The intrinsic X-pol performance of a set of artificial dielectric layers (ADLs) with and without vias is experimentally verified by placing the WAIM above an open-ended waveguide that acts as a linearly polarized source. The proposed WAIM with vias can be used in wideband wide-scanning array designs to improve polarization purity.

A semi-analytical method is presented for the design of gradient index (GRIN) flat lenses. Closed-form expressions are derived to define the refractive index distribution of the lens, for several cases: collimating lenses with on-axis feed, collimating lenses with off-axis feed, lenses converting spherical wavefronts with different wavenumbers, lenses changing the focal number of a quasi-optical system, and Fresnel zone lenses. The design equations are validated by ray-tracing simulations in inhomogeneous media, implemented by numerical solution of the Eikonal equation.

This work aims to provide guidelines on the design of wideband flat lenses based on artificial dielectric layers (ADLs). Planar lenses based on metasurfaces are typically narrowband, due to the phase wrapping over the period of 2\pi that is strongly frequency-dependent. On the contrary, true-time-delay (TTD) planar lenses, which do not resort to phase discontinuities, can achieve large bandwidths. One convenient way to design wideband TTD lenses is by means of ADLs, which are stacks of subwavelength-period patch arrays embedded in a host medium to increase its effective permittivity. Tradeoffs including bandwidth, focal ratio, lens diameter, and thickness are discussed and related to the manufacturing constraints of artificial dielectrics, such as the smallest features realizable in printed circuit board (PCB) technology, which define the maximum achievable effective permittivity. An example of design is also presented, operating from 30 to 60 GHz and experimentally validated.

We present an analytical model to describe arrays of connected slots fed by parallel plate waveguides (PPWs). Connected slot arrays are planar ultra-wideband arrays with wide scanning capability. PPW feeds can be used to reduce the complexity of the unit cell design. However, existing analytical expressions of the active input impedance of the array cannot account for the presence of PPWs. Here, we develop a new model that includes PPW structures in the stratification, enabling the optimization of the design together with the feed. An equivalent circuit of the unit cell is derived, where the PPW sections are represented in terms of equivalent transmission lines for each Floquet mode. Closed-form expressions are also derived for the capacitance associated with step discontinuities of the PPW and the inductance associated with the feed. Full-wave simulations are used to validate the model.