New Method Enhances Analysis of Large Antenna Arrays

A new method for analyzing mutual coupling effects in large, irregular antenna arrays has been introduced by researchers Quentin Gueuning, Eloy de Lera Acedo, Anthony Keith Brown, Christophe Craeye, and Oscar O'Hara. The paper, titled "A Broadband Multipole Method for Accelerated Mutual Coupling Analysis of Large Irregular Arrays Including Rotated Antennas," was submitted to arXiv on August 30, 2024.

The authors present a numerical technique that builds on the Method of Moments (MoM) and employs a Macro Basis Function (MBF) approach. This method allows for rapid direct inversion of the MoM impedance matrix, which is crucial for analyzing how antennas interact with one another in dense configurations.

One of the key advancements of this method is its ability to handle arrays with arbitrarily rotated antennas at a low additional cost. The researchers propose an extension of the Steepest-Descent Multipole expansion, which maintains numerical stability and efficiency across a wide bandwidth. This makes the method particularly suitable for quasi-planar problems, where traditional methods may struggle.

The authors report that simulations of irregular arrays, such as those composed of 256 complex log-periodic antennas, can be completed in approximately 10 minutes per frequency point on standard laptop computers. This efficiency is significant for applications in fields such as astrophysics and telecommunications, where understanding antenna interactions is critical for optimizing performance.

The findings from this research could have implications for the design and deployment of large antenna arrays, potentially leading to improved communication systems and enhanced observational capabilities in astrophysics. The full paper can be accessed at arXiv:2409.00153.