Waveguide Technology in Antenna Array Design
Summary
Waveguide technology has long underpinned high-performance antenna arrays by providing low-loss, highly confined paths for electromagnetic waves. Traditional metallic rectangular and circular waveguides enable efficient power transfer at microwave frequencies, while more recent innovations such as substrate-integrated waveguides (SIWs) and gap waveguides extend these benefits into millimetre-wave and sub-THz bands. In array configurations, waveguides serve both as feeding networks and as structural elements around radiating slots or apertures, ensuring phase stability and minimising unwanted coupling. Advances in precision micromachining and additive manufacturing now permit complex three-dimensional architectures, enabling compact, contactless assemblies that reduce assembly tolerances and enhance mechanical robustness. Such developments have driven improvements in beam steering, side-lobe suppression and polarisation control, with applications from 5G base stations and satellite terminals to high-resolution radar and point-to-point backhaul links.
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Waveguide Technology in Antenna Array Design publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in waveguide technology in antenna array design across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Waveguide: A metallic or hybrid structure that confines and guides electromagnetic energy along a defined path with low loss.
Gap Waveguide: A contactless waveguide formed by a periodic high-impedance surface and a parallel plate, supporting quasi-TEM modes without metal-to-metal contact.
Slotted Waveguide Antenna: A waveguide whose wall is periodically perforated with radiating slots, enabling controlled radiation patterns and scan-capability.
Directional Coupler: A passive network that splits or combines power between waveguide ports with a defined coupling ratio and high isolation.
Beam Steering: The electronic control of an array’s phase distribution to deflect the main lobe of radiation without mechanical movement.
References
- An Overview of Recent Development of the Gap-Waveguide Technology for mmWave and Sub-THz Applications. IEEE Access (2023).
- A Circularly Polarized Non-Resonant Slotted Waveguide Antenna Array for Wide-Angle Scanning. Sensors (2024).
- Ultra-Wideband Compact Millimeter-Wave Printed Ridge Gap Waveguide Directional Couplers for 5G Applications. IEEE Access (2022).
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