A planar controlled reception pattern array with dual-mode TM11-TM21 microstrip antenna elements for increased angular coverage

A planar controlled reception pattern array (CRPA) with increased upper hemisphere angular coverage is designed and studied. The array consists of three dual-mode TM₁₁-TM₂₁ circular microstrip elements. The TM₁₁ patch is circularly polarized (CP) while the TM₂₁ patch is dual polarized to exploit more degrees of freedom. The nulling performance of the array is studied using a Monte Carlo approach and is benchmarked against a uniform circular array (UCA) of TM₁₁ elements and a spherical array. It is shown that for low elevation angle RFIs, the proposed array provides more angular space available for reception, compared to the planar UCA.