Low-Profile Broadband 1-to-4 Divider for Simplified Corporate Feed Network Architectures in CTS Arrays

Continuous Transverse Stub (CTS) antenna arrays offer promising features such as high gain and wide bandwidth. Parallel-fed CTS antennas typically use a corporate feed network (CFN) made of uniform 1-to-2 power dividers, leading to complex CFN architectures for highly-directive CTS antennas. This paper proposes a solution to reduce the profile and complexity of CTS structures through a novel Compact Corporate Feed Network (CCFN) design, which employs direct 1-to-4 Parallel Plate Waveguide (PPW) broadband power dividers. We present a comprehensive model for analyzing frequency dispersion within the CCFN across the operating bandwidth. Through this model, we evaluate the impact of these power dividers on the radiation pattern of CTS arrays, facilitating the design of the most compact CFN architecture feasible for the given bandwidth and desired radiation pattern characteristics.