High-Performance Uniformly Excited Linear and Planar Arrays Based on Linear Semiarrays Composed of Subarrays With Different Uniform Spacings

The generation of low-sidelobe sum-like patterns or pencil beams by antenna arrays of minimal complexity-in particular, with uniform excitations-is still a challenging problem for antenna designers. The novel approach described in the title, which combines the flexibility of nonuniform element spacing with the constructional and/or computational advantages of subarrays, is here shown to afford results that match or surpass those of other published methods for linear, square planar and circular planar arrays. It may also be used to optimize other parameters instead of, or in addition to, sidelobe level.