Antenna Array Pattern Synthesis Using an Iterative Method

In this article, we investigate a novel iterative antenna array synthesis method. The method is based on the iterative addition of antenna array elements. After defining the synthesis algorithm, we prove that the discrepancy between the goal and the synthesized pattern converges to the theoretical lower bound in the sense of a certain norm. The algorithm is also extended to iteratively replace already placed elements and for the synthesis of multiple goal patterns with the same array geometry but with different excitations. Some numerical examples are shown to illustrate the convergence properties of the proposed method. Possible applications include circularly polarized patterns, since the algorithm can handle the rotation as well as translation of the antenna elements.