Proactively Conformed Near-Field Focused Modulated Leaky-Wave Antennas

The simultaneous use of conformation of a leaky-wave antenna (LWA) and local modulation of its leaky mode, is proposed for near-field focusing. Theoretical expressions are derived to obtain the local tapering of the complex propagation constant along the conformal shape, in order to focus the radiation at the desired coordinates. A design example with a curved tapered slitted leaky waveguide is illustrated to validate this theory, showing good agreement between theory and full-wave simulations. Finally, potential applications of curved near-field focused proactively conformed LWAs are discussed.