Optimal Radiation Pattern of the Element for a Spherical Phased Array With Hemispherical Scan Capability

In this letter, very interesting characteristics of the element used in a spherical phased array antenna are described. From the analysis, it is deduced that the optimum pattern of the element that results in maximum array directivity is a cosine squared function. This is verified in two different array configurations—one with 32 elements and the other with 64 elements. A compact quasi-tapered helix antenna is designed at X-band, and its radiation properties are compared with the required performance. Helix antenna is selected as it can give good bandwidth and good polarization purity.

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