Methods for optimal focusing of microstrip array antennas including mutual coupling

In several array synthesis problems the lack of a common element pattern among different antennas makes the use of classical synthesis methods based on the array factor questionable. A recently introduced approach to array synthesis is exploited to take account in an exact fashion of the mutual coupling between patches for the synthesis of pencil beams by microstrip arrays. Optimality of the approach allows quantifying the advantages of the method with respect to common approaches, which largely compensates in several cases for its additional computational burden.