8 x 8 Ka-Band Dual-Polarized Array Antenna Based on Gap Waveguide Technology

[EN] This paper describes an 8 x 8 fully metallic high-efficiency dual-polarized array antenna working at the Ka-band, based on the gap waveguide (GW) concept. The radiating element is a circular aperture backed by two stacked cylindrical cavities, which are orthogonally fed to achieve a dual-polarized performance. Both feeding layers consist of a GW corporate network to reach all the cavities backing each radiating element. Cavities are naturally integrated within the bed of nails hosting grooves and ridges for the guiding electromagnetic (EM) field, leading to a low-profile dual-polarized array in the Ka-band. The experimental results present good agreement with simulations. The measured radiation patterns agree well with the simulation and the antenna provides an average gain over 27 dBi within its operating bandwidth (29.5-31 GHz).