Comparison of different optimization techniques in the design of electromagnetic devices

In recent years there has been an increasing attention to some novel evolutionary techniques, such as for example Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), Biogeography Based Optimization (BBO), Differential Evolution (DE), Population-Based Incremental Learning (PBIL) and Stud Genetic Algorithm (SGA). The design of a microwave filter, a planar array and an elliptical reflectarray are here addressed in order to compare their performances on benchmark EM optimization problems. Results show that some techniques (DE, BBO, SGA) are particularly effective in dealing with antenna optimization.