Reflector effects on the performance of a retrodirective antenna array

This paper presents modeling strategies to determine the operating characteristics of a heterodyne phase-conjugate retrodirective Van Atta (1959) array in the presence of a plane reflector. The models used are based on physical and geometrical optics principles. Predictions of the operating characteristics of the array due to the close proximity of a plane metallic reflector are compared with experimental measurements. It is shown that provided the reflector is positioned at a distance greater than 1.25 times the separation distance between the transmitter and the retrodirective array its effect on the performance of the retrodirective array appears to be negligible.