Excitation of flatland surface-wave leakage on an equivalent reactance surface by a single-wire transmission line

Abstract

Recently, researchers have demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally, that low-dimensional version of conventional leaky waves, known as “flatland leaky waves” (FLWs). FLWs can be supported by planar junctions of metasurfaces and are completely confined to a plane. Here, we design a structure that places an equivalent reactance surface near the transmission line to excite the FLWs. By properly designing the geometry of the unit cell, conditions can be created for faster surface waves (SWs) to excite slower SWs on the surface, resulting in the desired form of two-dimensional (2D) leaky-wave radiation. A sample was fabricated and measured, and both the simulation results and the experimental results yielded the desired results. Finally, we design the equivalent impedance surface model on which we can also observe the 2D FLWs. Our research not only deepens the understanding of the phenomenon of FLWs but also brings the application of equivalent reactance surfaces in the field of electromagnetic phenomena research to a higher level.