This paper proposes two spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) leaky-wave antennas using periodically loaded patches above perfect electric conductor (PEC) and artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) ground planes, respectively. The SSPP leaky-wave antenna is based on a SSPP transmission line, along which circular patches are periodically loaded on both sides to provide an additional momentum for phase matching with the radiated waves in the air. The PEC and AMC ground planes underneath the antenna reflect the radiated waves into the upward space, leading to an enhanced radiation gain. Both PEC- and AMC-grounded antenna prototypes are fabricated and measured in comparison with the one without any ground plane. The experimental results show that the PEC and AMC ground planes increase the radiation gain by approximately 3 dB within the operational frequency range 4.5-6.5 GHz. It also demonstrates that the AMC-grounded leaky-wave antenna, with a thickness of 0.08lambda at 6 GHz, features more compact profile than the PEC-grounded one (with a thickness of 0.3lambda at 6 GHz).
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