Influence of Electric Field Distribution on High-Power Array Antenna Radiation Pattern with Rectangular Aperture

Abstract

The antenna element with rectangular aperture is one of the main forms of the array antenna. The electric field amplitude distribution of the rectangular aperture, as well as the phase distribution is the most important parameter that affects the radiation gain and beam direction of the array antenna. In this work, a theoretical study is carried out on array antennae for high-power microwave (HPM) applications. An electric integration method is applied to obtain the far-field radiation pattern with different kinds of electric field distributions. Moreover, the influence of the electric field amplitude and phase on the performance of the array antenna is analyzed. For one antenna element, uniform electric field distribution is not the best choice. However, the uniform distribution has specific advantages for an array antenna consisting of combined antenna elements. The phase deviation has more significant influence on the performance of the array antenna than the amplitude deviation. It indicates that a good working phase shifter with high-power capacity and time-adjusting capability is very important.