Design of waveguide-fed series slot arrays

M. Orefice, Ph.D., and Prof. R.S. Elliott, Fel.I.E.E.E.

Indexing terms: Waveguides, Antennas
Abstract: A design procedure is presented whereby the length and tilt of every slot in a series array can be
determined, in the presence of external mutual coupling, in order to provide a specified pattern and input
impedance. The slots are cut in a broadwall of rectangular waveguides, centred but inclined, and resonantly
spaced to form linear or planar arrays. The design procedure parallels earlier treatment of the longitudinal
shunt slot case, and combines Stevenson's method with a modified form of Booker's relation to treat non-
resonant series slots. Two coupled design equations result, one linking slot voltage and mode current, the
other linking active slot impedance to the active impedance in an equivalent dipole array. Simultaneous
solution of these design equations is illustrated for the cases of a two by four array, a three by five array, and
a five by five array. Experimental results for the two by four array are presented, and validate the theory
satisfactorily.
1 Introduction
Waveguide-fed slot arrays were first studied extensively in
Canada by Watson [1] and Stevenson [2] during the Second
World War, and have been a popular type of antenna ever since.
Various investigators found that external mutual coupling
could not be ignored if satisfactory patterns and input were to
be achieved, particularly as specifications became more demand-
ing. For many years these external mutual coupling effects
were taken into account by perfoming experimental tests on
sample subarrays or by theoretical calculations assuming an
infinite array with uniform excitation. With the growing use
of small slot arrays, e.g. as seeker antennas, these techniques
were no longer satisfactory since individual elements have
different environments, both in terms of the number of ele-
ments which surround them and the excitations of their
neighbours. In 1978 Elliott and Kurtz [3] presented a theo-
retical technique for including external mutual effects for the
case of longitudinal shunt slots when the number of neighbours
is finite. That technique has proved successful, and prompted
the present study of the analogous problem involving centred,
inclined slots in a broadwall of a rectangular waveguide. The
analysis which follows will be seen to parallel their approach.
The analogy has been heightened by repeating their design of
a two-by-four array, with the substitution of series slots for
shunt slots. Some interesting comparisons have arisen, and
will be discussed after presentation of the theory and experi-
mental results.
2 Theory
Consider the module consisting of the solid lines in Fig. 1.
This is a section of rectangular waveguide Ag/2-long containing
a centred inclined slot, of length 2/ and tilt angle 0, cut in its
upper broadwall. One- and two-dimensional slot arrays can be
constructed by placing such modules in cascade and parallel
positions.
The module of Fig. 1 can be treated as a two-port device in
the same manner as in Reference 3, resulting in the equivalent
circuit for the fundamental TE
10
mode shown in Fig. 2. The
fundamental mode is represented by the voltage/current pair
( F
n
, /) at the input port (z = \
g
). A load impedance Zf;
is placed at the output port (z = \
g
). This impedance, trans-
formed through 3X^/4, could represent what the nth module
'sees' looking down its branch line at all the modules beyond,
or it could be an appropriate termination, e.g. a short circuit.
Paper 1988H, first received 1st July and in revised form 30th November
1981
Prof. Elliott is, and Dr. Orefice was formerly, with the Department of
Electrical Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles CA 90024,
USA. Dr. Orefice is now with the Centro Studi Propagazione e Antenne
del CNR, Instituto di Electronica, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino,
Italy
IEEPROC, Vol. 129, Pt. H, No. 4, AUGUST 1982
Continuing the analogy with Reference 3, we shall account
for mutual coupling via the mesh equations
N
Vn= I
m=i
T 7
(1)
in which Z
mn
is the mutual impedance between the input
ports m and n, and Z
nn
= Z
n
+Zn, with Z
n
the self-impe-
dance of the nth slot. The active impedance of the nth slot is
then defined to be the input impedance at the nth input
port minus Z^, i.e.
N
i I
a
7 + V 7
m=i /
(2)
in which the prime on the summation sign means that the
term m =n has been excluded. Eqn. 2 states that the active
impedance of the nth slot equals its self-impedance plus a
term Z
b
n
which accounts for external mutual coupling. Z\ is
seen to involve not only the mutual impedances berween ports
but also the relative mode currents at the different ports.
The active impedance Z
a
n
governs the scattering off the
nth slot via the well known asymmetrical relation
B = -C = \I
n
Z
a
n (3)
Fig. 1 Waveguide/slot module
A
-WSr
ZS
Fig. 2 Equivalent circuit of nth module
0143-7097/821040165 + 05 $01.50/0 165
in which B and C are the amplitudes of the backward- and
forward-mode voltage waves. Extending the method of Steven-
son [2] to nonresonant slots, one can show that B is related to
the slot voltage V\ by the equation
B = hK,Z
o
f{6
n
,l
n
)K (4)
in which Z
o
is the characteristic impedance of the equivalent
transmission line and
K
x
=
r)Z
0
p
l0
k
0
ab
1/2
(5)
with r} the impedance of free space, j3
10
the propagation con-
stant of the TE
10
mode, and k
0
the space wave number. The
function f(B
n
, l
n
) is given by
- / , / ) (6)
(7)
(8)
/ (*, / ) = M(d
n
+i,l
n
)
wherein / = arcsin (\
0
/2a) and

. i
=
cos {k
0
l
n
cos(d
n
/)} - cos k
o
l
n
n
~
hn
si n(0
n
O
Elimination of B from eqns. 3 and 4 yields
Z
a
V
s
Eqn. 8 is one of the two principal design equations produced
by this analysis. It shows that the mode current and slot
voltage are in phase (or out of phase) if Z%/Z
o
is pure real.
(The function f(6
n
,l
n
) is pure real, but can be positive or
negative, since f(6
n
,l
n
) = f(6
n
,l
n
) as inspection of eqns.
6 and 7 will reveal.) In most slot array design problems, V
s
n
is
governed by pattern requirements; for resonantly spaced arrays
(i.e. d = \
g
l2),I
n
is common to all elements in a branch line,
except for an alternation in sign, ordinarily compensated for
by an alternation in direction of slot tilt. In such arrays, if all
the slot voltages V
8
n
are to be in phase with each other, it
follows that all the active impedances Z should have a com-
mon phase. A simple choice is to require that all Z be pure
real. But a return to eqn. 2 indicates that, if Z% is to be pure
real, in general Z
n
, the self-impedance of the nth slot, will not
be pure real. In other words, when external mutual coupling is
taken into account, one cannot expect that resonant self-
resistance data will be adequate for the design. Indeed, in
many practical applications, the requisite values of Z
n
can
be quite far off resonance.
The other principal design equation arises from linking
the performance of the slot array to that of an equivalent
dipole array, via Babinet's principle. Via a procedure which
parallels what was done earlier for shunt slots [4] it can be
shown that
73
= K*
0.131
f(d
n
,l
n
)
sin
2
k
o
l
n
[/(*,/
B
)/sin*
0
/]
(9)
In eqn. 9, f is the active impedance of the nth Babinet-
equivalent strip dipole, defined by
n I
d
n
sin ^o^n
Sr. (10)
wherein f
n
is the self impedance of the dipole, f is the load
impedance placed in series with it, f
mn
is the conventional
mutual impedance between dipoles, calculable from formulas
such as those of Baker and LaGrone [5], and / sin k
Q
l
m
is the input current to the mth dipole.
One can see from a study of eqn. 10 that , if the pattern
requirement is known (so that ///* is known), and if
fn + f n is known as a function of d
n
and / (this relation will
be deduced shortly), then f can be calculated, placed in
eqn. 9, and Z%/Z
o
can be determined.
The factor in braces in the first form of eqn. 9 is Stevenson's
expression for the normalised resistance of a resonant-length
series slot, for which Stevenson assumed [2] that k
o
l
n
= n/2.
Thus eqn. 9 permits the interesting interpretation that the
normalised active impedance of a slot which is not necessarily
of resonant length, and which is affected by external mutual
coupling with neighbouring slots, is equal to Stevenson's
expression divided by the active impedance of the corres-
ponding loaded dipole normalised to 73 1.
For the case of an isolated slot, eqn. 9 becomes
{f(d
n
,l
n
)/sink
o
l
n
y
n
r
S n
(11)
When eqn. 11 is solved for + f, with the result placed in
eqn. 9, one obtains
^ K
2
[f(e
n
,l
n
)jsink
o
l
n
]
2
Z
o
K
2
[f(6
n
,l
n
)lsmk
o
l
n
)
2
'!% sink
o
l
m
sin k
o
l
n
(12)
166
Eqn. 12 is the second principal design result of this analysis.
When combined with eqn. 8 it permits determination of the
tilt and length of every slot in the array, as will be seen from
the development in the following Section of this paper.
3 Design procedure
Consider an air-filled rectangular waveguide of transverse
dimensions (a, b) in one of whose broad walls N centred,
inclined slots are to be cut. The slots are to be regularly spaced
a distance X
g
/2 apart, with \
g
the guide wavelength for the
TE
10
mode when a frequency v is used. The last slot is followed
by a short circuit X^/2 beyond. This is a resonantly spaced
linear array unless there are two or more such waveguides
side by side, in which case it is part of a planar array. The
design procedure to be described applies equally well to both
situations. In the linear array case, the mode current / has a
common amplitude at all N slots, alternating in sign at succes-
sive slots; the pattern specification is usually accompanied by
the requirement that there be an input match. In the planar
array case, I
n
is common to all slots in a branch line (except
for an alternation in sign), but generally has a different value
in different branch lines. An input match to each branch line
waveguide is generally not desired; the sum of the active impe-
dances in a branch line is transformed via a coupling device
to become an equivalent impedance in the main line; it is the
sum of these equivalent main line impedances which one
usually desires to be matched.
Both the linear array case and the planar array case can be
accommodated if one states that the desired pattern is known
and that the sum of the active impedances of the ./V slots
common to a particular waveguide had been specified. This
IEEPROC, Vol. 129, Pt. H, No. 4, AUGUST 1982
implies that F* is known for n = 1, 2, 3, . . . , N and that
7
N 70
branch v"
1
'-'n
(13)
pairing of couplets occurs when
7
a
I7
n
f(R I } V
s
T Zj
ml^'O __ J \
v
m ?
l
mJ
v
m j_n_
Z
a
n
IZ
0
' f(d
n
,l
n
) V
8
n
I
m
(17)
is also known.
With this input information, eqns. 8 and 12 can be used to
determine the tilts and lengths of the TV slots. However, before
embarking on a discussion of how this is accomplished, it is
fruitful to describe the ingredients of these two equations.
First, it should be noted that f(d
n
\ l
n
) is a known function of
slot inclination and length, being defined by eqns. 6 and 7.
Secondly, the mutual impedance term f
mn
is a known function
of the tilts, lengths and relative positions of the rath and th
equivalent dipoles. Thirdly, the normalised self-impedance of
an isolated slot Z
n
/Z
Q
can be measured as a function of its
tilt and length, and these experimental data can be represented
empirically by a simple polyfit, as a result of which Z
n
/Z
0
becomes a known function of slot tilt and length. (It should
be noted that these measurements automatically account for
wall thickness.) Thus the right-hand sides of both eqns. 8 and 12
are known functions of the slot co-ordinates.
With this realisation, one can proceed to the actual design.
For the purpose of initiating the procedure, starting values of
slot tilts and lengths can be computed by neglecting mutual
coupling and assuming all slots are of resonant length. Eqns.
8 and 13 give, for this case,
= (///)
f(e
m
,i
r
m)
v
n
branch
N
(14)
from which starting values of the slot tilts 0
1
, 0
2
, . . . , 6
N
can
be computed if the desired pattern is specified (Vfn/V
n
known)
and if the input impedance to each branch line is also specified.
Given the starting values (#,/)> it is then possible to com-
pute starting values for the mutual coupling terms
b _ ' /A sin
m=l / Sin A:
0
/
n
(15)
since / ^/ / is known via the pattern specification and f
mn
is calculable if the equivalent dipole positions, orientations
and lengths are known.
Next, a computer search can be undertaken for the slot
dimensions (0
n
, /) which make
!
Im
K
2
{f(9
n
,l
n
)lsink
o
l
n
}
2
\ _
(16)
as then the denominator of eqn. 13 will be pure real, and, as a
consequence,Z/Z
o
will be pure real also. One finds that there
is a continuous sequence of values for (0
n
, /
n
) which will
satisfy the condition of eqn. 16, with larger values of 6
n
causing larger values of Z/Z
o
.
Similarly, there is a continuous sequence of values for
(6
m
,l
m
) which will satisfy eqn. 16 for the mth slot. However,
there is a unique couplet (d
m
,l
m
) corresponding to each
couplet (d
n
,l
n
), because eqn. 8 must also be satisfied. This
A computer program can be written which will, for a given
solution (61, / i ), find the matching solutions (0
2
, /
2
), . . . ,
( 9
m)
/
m
) (QNJN)- Which set of solutions to choose
depends on the desired value of eqn. 13.
However, the chosen set of solutions is only a first approxi-
mation to the design. Now that a set of tilts and lengths (d
n
,l
n
)
has been found, improved calculations of f
mn
can be under-
taken. Thus the entire process can, and should, be iterated
until a set of slot dimensions is found which differs from the
set found in the previous iteration by less than the achiev-
able machining tolerances. Usually, three or four interations
is sufficient to produce a final design.
4 Experiment
The design procedure which has just been described has been
applied to the case of a two-by-four array, illustrated in Fig. 3.
The array was fed by a magic-T, as a consequence of which
the magnitude of the mode current was the same in both
waveguides. It was specified that all eight slot voltages should
be equal and in phase, corresponding to a sum pattern in the
//-plane with 13.5 dB first sidelobes. An input match was
desired at the sum arm of the magic-T.
Waveguides with standard X-band dimensions were used
(a = 0.9 in, b = 0.4 in), and the slots were 0.0625 in wide. The
design frequency was 9.375 GHz. The final design yielded the
slot tilts and lengths listed in Fig. 3.
The array was imbedded in a ground plane 30 cm square
and patterns were recorded over the frequency range 9.15 GHz
to 9.60 GHz. The solid curve in Fig. 4 shows the //-plane pattern
at 9.375GHz. One can observe a well formed sum pattern
with deep nulls and balanced sidelobes. The first pair of side-
lobes is 1 dB above theoretical; the second pair agrees with
theory. The slight discrepancy is attributable to several assump-
tions in the theory: an infinite ground plane, walls of negligible
thickness, and square-ended slots. The pattern displayed only
slight variations over the entire frequency range.
The crosspolarisation pattern was also recorded in the same
frequency range and showed grating lobes at 38 which
were only 8 dB below the peak of the main beam of the
principal pattern. (The theoretical value was 7.8 dB.) But
this is to be expected in a small array in which the tilt angles
must be large if a match is to be achieved. The crosspolarisation
level would be significantly lower in larger arrays since, with
an input matched maintained, the average slot tilt lessens as
the array is lengthened.
Fig. 5 shows the input VSWR against frequency, measured
at the sum arm of the magic-T, when the output arms were
connected to the two-by-four array, and when they were
connected to matched loads. It is seen that the array is quite
well matched in the frequency range 9.29.55 GHz. We were
unable to tell whether or not the array had its minimum
VSWR at the design frequency of 9.375 GHz because the
magic-T was not inherently perfectly matched; the minimum
may have occurred 100 MHz higher; if so, this too can be
attributed to some of the approximations in the theory. But,
clearly, a satisfactory input impedance was achieved in a range
which included the design frequency.
To indicate the improvement that this method provides in
the fitting of theoretical and experimental patterns, a second
array was designed with mutual coupling ignored. This resulted
in all slots having the same length and tilt magnitude. Such an
IEEPROC, Vol. 129, Pt. H, No. 4, AUGUST 1982
167
array was constructed and tested. Its//-plane pattern at 9.375
GHz is shown as the broken line in Fig. 4. It can be seen that
in this case the sidelobes are about 2-3 dB above the pre-
dicted values. This disparity would become more severe in
arrays designed to yield lower sidelobe levels. When mutual
coupling is taken into account, using the design procedure
herein described, very low sidelobe levels are achievable with
arrays of adequate length.
5 Discussion
Experimental data on the two-by-four array can be fairly
said to have validated the theory since the measured pattern
and input impedance were acceptably close to the design
specifications.
The effect of mutual coupling can be seen from the table of
slot tilts and lengths in Fig. 3. Had one ignored mutual coupling,
or had one assumed it was the same for all slots, the slots
1.5A,
] 300 x 300 mm
groundplane
Fig. 3 Two-by-four series slot array
a=22.86mm, ft=10.16mm, f=1.27mm, w= l.S mm, / = 9.375^Hz
Slot
n
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Tilt angle
deg
19.67
-23.74
23.74
-19.67
20.69
-22.65
22.65
-20.69
Slot length
mm
15.48
15.45
15.45
15.48
15.42
15.51
15.51
15.42
would have had common tilt angles and lengths, since a uniform
aperture excitation was prescribed. But the slot lengths are
not all the same and there is a 19% variation in their tilt, both
due to mutual coupling.
It was at first surprising that the variation in slot tilts was
not greater, since the analogue two-by-four shunt slot array
had shown a 2:1 variation in slot offset [3]. However, this can
be explained by the f
mn
and f data shown in Table 1.
Whereas the magnitudes of the f
mn
values for corresponding
slots in the two arrays are comparable, item by item, the
phases are not the same. As a consequence, the current-
weighted sums which yield f via eqn. 15 are significantly
different for the two arrays. They only range from 3 to 11 ft
for the series slot array, but range from 3 to 31 ft for the
shunt array. The extensive variation in $" explains the 2:1
variation in slot offset in the shunt array.
It is unrealistic to expect that all series slot arrays have
inherently smaller mutual coupling effects than their shunt
slot counterparts. Two effects can be identified as causing this
anomaly in the case of the two-by-four arrays:
(i) slot spacing
(ii) the number of slots in the array.
or
9.375 GHz
- 40
-90* -60* -30* 0* 30*
angle from broadside
60* 90*
Fig. 4 Experimental H-plane patterns of two series slot arrays each
with two-by-four elements
mutual coupling included in design
mutual coupling ignored
9.2 9.3 9.4
frequency , GHz
Fig. 5 Input VSWR against frequency at sum arm of magic-T
a Feeding two-by-four series slot array
b Feeding a pair of matched loads
168
IEEPROC, Vol. 129, Pt. H, No. 4, AUGUST 1982
Table 1:
mn
and [
n
values for comparable two-by-four series and shunt slot arrayst
Slot 1
1 -
8.80 Z.-48
2
8.36 L-89
17.54Z.156
5
21.52Z.149
6.16 Z.78
6
9.15Z.12
2
8.80 Z.-48
8.36 Z.-89
-
6.15 Z.78
8.31 Z.149
17.54Z.156
21.52 Z.149
3
2.30 Z.3
1.98 Z.44
8.80 Z.-^8
8.36 Z.-89
1.42 Z.-38
2.52 Z.-93
6.16 Z.78
9.15Z.12
4
1.16Z.-166
0.84Z.141
2.30 Z.3
1.98 Z.43
0.64 Z.103
0.88 Z.92
5.98 Z.-123
2.52 Z.-93
5
17.54Z.156
21.52 Z.149
6.16 Z.78
8.31 Z.149
-
8.80 Z.-48
8.36 Z.-89
6
6.16 Z.78
9.15 Z.12
17.54 Z.156
21.52 Z.149
8.80 Z.-48
8.36 Z.-89

7
5.98 Z.-123
2.52 Z.-93
6.15 Z.78
8.31 Z.149
2.30 Z.3
1.98 Z.44
8.80 Z.-48
8.36 Z.43
8
0.65Z.103
1.24 Z.7
1.42 Z.-38
2.52 Z.-93
1.15 L166
0.84Z.141
2.30 Z.3
0.84 Z.-93
Mutual couplings
rf = 11.35
Z.170 (series)
rf= 8.54
Z.150 (shunt)
f j = 5.57
Z.72 (series)
f J =30.97
Z.176 (shunt)
f j = 9.15
Z.138 (series)
ff =25.79
Z.163 (shunt)
?= 3.00
Z.156 (series)
f j = 3.07
Z.80 (shunt)
tUpper figures are for series array, lower figures are for shunt array. Both sets of figures are in the form amplitude (ft) at a phase angle (deg).
With respect to the first point, it seems fair to argue that,
were the spacing to be different, the phases of the f
mn
terms
could change in favour of the shunt slot array at the expense
of the series slot array. (This possibility is being investigated.)
With respect to the second point, we have information from
the designs of a three-by-five and a five-by-five series slot array,
each possessing the same slot spacing as the two-by-four
array, and each designed for uniform excitation. For the three-
by-five array, f varied from 14 to 34 Cl, and the slot tilts
showed a 34% variation. For the five-by-five array f varied
from 14 to 5912 and the slot tilts showed a 10:1 variation.
Clearly, the number of elements in a small array affects the
amount of mutual coupling.
6 Conclusions
A design technique has been formulated which will account
for the effects of external mutual coupling in series slot arrays,
using as criteria the achievement of a desired pattern and a
desired input impedance. The theory has been used to design
a two-by-four array. Experimental data for that array indicate
good agreement with the theory. There is evidence suggesting
that alternate designs of small slot arrays should be under-
taken, one using shunt slots, the other series slots. It may be
that the level of mutual coupling will be significantly less in
one of the designs, which could be decisive in some applications.
7 Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Messrs. Delogu and Giorio for their
help in the impedance measurements, and Dr. Bielli and all
the staff of the Anechoic Chamber of CSELT for their
hospitality and support in the radiation pattern measurements.
8 References
1
WATSON, W.H.: The physical principles of waveguide transmission
and antenna systems' (Clarendon Press, 1947)
STEVENSON, A.F.: 'Theory of slots in rectangular waveguides'
J. Appl. Phys., 1948,19, pp. 24-38
ELLIOTT. R.S., and KURTZ, L.A.: 'The design of small slot
.arrays',IEEE Trans., 1978, AP-26, pp. 214-219
ELLIOTT, R.S.: 'Antenna theory and design'(Prentice-Hall 1981)
Chap. 8
BAKER, H.C., and LaGRONE, A.H.: 'Digital computation of the
mutual impedance between thin dipoles', IEEE Trans 1962
AP-10, pp. 172-178
IEEPROC, Vol. 129, Pt. H, No. 4, AUGUST 1982
169