Abstract
In this paper, we present a novel method to tailor the radiation pattern of an antenna element, such as a single element of an array, by maximizing its partial radiation efficiency in the desired angular space. The tailored pattern of the single element is achieved by current distribution synthesis using multiple feed points in the antenna. A method to determine and realize the currents at the feeds is presented. The method is demonstrated by designing and manufacturing a four-element linear array consisting of tailored antenna elements and comparing its performance to the reference case. The element consists of four closely-spaced metallic patches placed on a substrate backed with a ground plane, and each patch is separately fed. The initial four-port feed is reduced to a single feed with a feeding network based on the determined currents. A conventional patch antenna is chosen as the reference. The simulated and measured results show improvement in the realized gain in the desired angular space.
Highlights
A NTENNA arrays are currently employed in a wide range of applications because of their directive properties
A patch antenna array suffers from significant scan loss and even scan blindness at large steering angles
We propose a novel method enabling the design of a multi-port antenna element with the desired radiation pattern by determining optimal port currents rather than optimal surface currents
Summary
A NTENNA arrays are currently employed in a wide range of applications because of their directive properties. Examples of such applications include radars and emerging 5G technology, where large arrays are deployed to steer the radiation to a desired direction. Considering the single-element pattern is important since it defines the limitations of the antenna array. A patch antenna has maximum gain in the broadside direction with relatively narrow halfpower beamwidth. A patch antenna array suffers from significant scan loss and even scan blindness at large steering angles. No canonical antenna in an array is well suited for beam steering across an arbitrary angular space
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