Patent attributes
According to various embodiments, systems and methods for spatial sampling in proximity to the Nyquist limit in traveling-wave antenna systems are disclosed. An apparatus can include a traveling-wave antenna array comprising a plurality of adjacent traveling-wave antennas that each include a plurality of tunable elements that are spaced at, near, or above a Nyquist limit spacing to form an array of tunable elements. The apparatus also includes a phase diversity feed coupled to the traveling-wave antenna array that is configured to provide input to the traveling-wave antenna array including phase diverse input to two or more of the plurality of adjacent traveling-wave antennas. Further, the apparatus includes a plurality of grayscale tuning elements configured to tune the plurality of tunable elements along one or more ranges of one or more tuning variables to form one or more specific output radiation patterns through the traveling-wave antenna array based on the input.