Design of a small planar dipole array with wide band and low sidelobes

Abstract

This paper describes the main techniques involved in the design of a small planar dipole array (4/spl times/42 elements) with wide band and low sidelobes, including design of wideband dipole elements, theoretical analysis and experimental test of mutual coupling between dipole elements, calibration of aperture distribution effected by mutual coupling, CAD for precision corporate-fed power divider network, fabrication of precision corporate-fed power divider network, testing of wideband ultra-low sidelobe antenna with wide vertical beam, and so on. Far-field test results of the antenna show that a peak sidelobe level of -30 dB within 27% frequency band was achieved. If a large array antenna is constructed with the line source arrays used in the antenna, an ultra-low sidelobe level of -35 dB within 27% frequency band can be achieved.