Surface wave guiding apparatus and method for guiding the surface wave along an arbitrary path

A waveguide for rotating a propagating surface wave on a surface, the waveguide rotating the surface wave with respect to a point on or adjacent said surface and along a circumferential path on said surface defined relative to said point, wherein the surface has a two dimensional array of electrically conductive patches disposed thereon which, in use, rotates the propagating surface wave in a phase preserving manner along said circumferential path, said surface having a surface impedance defined by

• X
• R
• =
• (
• R
• C
• R
• )
• ⁢
• (
• 1
• +
• X
• C
• 2
• )
• -
• 1
• ,
• where XR is a principal axis impedance magnitude at a radius R relative to said point, expressed as a function of the impedance magnitude Xc at a radius Rc, where Rc corresponds to a radius of said circumferential path and the propagating surface wave is a TM wave.

A waveguide for rotating a propagating surface wave on a surface, the waveguide rotating the surface wave with respect to a point on or adjacent said surface and along a circumferential path on said surface defined relative to said point, wherein the surface has a two dimensional array of electrically conductive patches disposed thereon which, in use, rotates the propagating surface wave in a phase preserving manner along said circumferential path, said surface having a surface impedance defined by

• Y
• R
• =
• 1
• (
• R
• c
• R
• )
• 2
• ⁢
• (
• 1
• +
• 1
• Y
• c
• 2
• )
• -
• 1
• ,
• where YR is a principal axis admittance magnitude at a radius R relative to said point, expressed as a function of the admittance magnitude Yc at a radius Rc, where Rc corresponds to a radius of said circumferential path and the propagating surface wave is a TE wave.

A surface supporting transverse electric (TE) or transverse magnetic (TM) surface bound waves, said surface having one or more arrays of electrically conductive patches arranged thereon to urge said transverse electric or a transverse magnetic surface bound waves to follow an arbitrary path, having a smoothly changing radius of curvature, while maintaining a phase preserving wavefront along said arbitrary path, wherein at least one of said arrays of electrically conductive patches has a surface impedance defined by

• Y
• R
• =
• 1
• (
• R
• c
• R
• )
• 2
• ⁢
• (
• 1
• +
• 1
• Y
• c
• 2
• )
• -
• 1
• ,
• where YR is a principal axis admittance magnitude at a radius R relative to a point, expressed as a function of the admittance magnitude at a radius Rc, where Rc corresponds to a radius of a circumferential path forming a portion of said arbitrary path.

A surface supporting transverse electric (TE) or transverse magnetic (TM) surface bound waves, said surface having one or more arrays of electrically conductive patches arranged thereon to urge said transverse electric or a transverse magnetic surface bound waves to follow an arbitrary path, having a smoothly changing radius of curvature, while maintaining a phase preserving wavefront along said arbitrary path, wherein at least one of said arrays of electrically conductive patches has a surface impedance defined by

• X
• R
• =
• (
• R
• c
• R
• )
• 2
• ⁢
• (
• 1
• +
• X
• c
• 2
• )
• -
• 1
• ,
• where XR is a principal axis impedance magnitude at a radius R relative to a point, expressed as a function of the impedance magnitude at a radius Rc, where Rc corresponds to a radius of a circumferential path forming a portion of said arbitrary path.