Autocorrelation-Driven Synthesis of Antenna Arrays -- The Case of DS-Based Planar Isophoric Thinned Arrays

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel analytical method for designing isophoric thinned antenna arrays using autocorrelation properties, enabling precise control over pattern features such as sidelobe levels and directivity.

Contribution

It provides a fully analytical, general relationship between array excitation autocorrelation and power pattern, and derives closed-form formulas for array synthesis using difference sets.

Findings

Validated the method through numerical simulations and full-wave analysis.

Achieved precise control over sidelobe levels and directivity.

Demonstrated the method's effectiveness for various array configurations.

Abstract

A new methodology for the design of isophoric thinned arrays with a priori controlled pattern features is introduced. A fully analytical and general (i.e., valid for any lattice and set of weights) relationship between the autocorrelation of the array excitations and the power pattern samples is first derived. Binary 2-D sequences with known autocorrelation properties, namely the difference sets (DSs), are then chosen as a representative benchmark to prove that it is possible to deduce closed-form synthesis formulas that a priori guarantee to fit requirements on the sidelobe level (SLL), the directivity, the half-power beamwidth, and the power pattern in user-defined directions. The selected results from a wide numerical assessment, which also includes full-wave simulations with realistic radiators, are illustrated to validate the reliability and the accuracy of the proposed design equations and the associated performance bounds.