This research investigates scattering of surface waves by obstacles among dielectric waveguides. The work embraces both theoretical and experimental studies of related scattering phenomena and is relevant to the study of guided-wave phenomena in both uniformly-clad and integrated surface-waveguide structures for millimeter and optical wavelengths. The methods are applicable as well to the scattering of waves along inherently simpler mm-wave microstrip-based circuits. An exact integral-operator description provides a new technique for the study of surface-wave scattering including mode conversion and radiation by dielectric obstacles having arbitrary shapes and refractive-index profiles. The analytical studies will be supported and guided by measurements at millimeter wavelengths using a complete- V-band millimeter-wave instrumentation setup.
