The Theory and Design of Fractal Antenna Arrays

One of the most fruitful areas of fractal electrodynamics research to date concerns the application of fractal geometry to antenna engineering. In this chapter we provide a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the field of fractal antenna engineering, with particular emphasis placed on the theory and design of fractal arrays. Several important properties of fractal arrays will be presented and discussed in this chapter. These include the frequency-independent multiband characteristics of fractal arrays, schemes for realizing low sidelobe designs, systematic approaches to thinning, and the ability to develop rapid beamforming algorithms by exploiting the recursive nature of fractals.