Design of a Compact SPA for U6G Band with GA Based Optimization

In this paper, a compact sparse planar array (SPA) optimization method based on genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed for the upper 6 GHz (U6G) band. The inter-element spacing is reduced from $\lambda / 2$ to $\lambda / 4$. The results show that the maximum sidelobe level of the optimized SPA is reduced by 6.3dB compared with that of the uniform planar array (UPA), which is not significantly different from that of the optimized SPA with $\lambda / 2$ antenna spacing, while the antenna area with $\lambda / 4$ is only a quarter of that with $\lambda / 2$. The method proposed is suitable for low-sidelobe-level, low-channel-count, and low-cost U6G band applications.