Synthesis of Sum-and-Difference Patterns for Radome-Enclosed Linear Arrays With Common Weights Using Convex Optimization

• Published in: IEEE antennas and wireless propagation letters Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 607 - 611
• Main Authors: Li, Wei-Zong, Jiao, Yong-Chang, Zhang, Yi-Xuan, Zhang, Li
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.03.2025; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Active radome-element patterns; Antenna arrays; Asymmetry; Convex analysis; Convex functions; convex optimization; Convexity; Couplings; Far fields; Linear antenna arrays; Linear arrays; Linear programming; Monopulse radar; Optimization; Phased arrays; Radar; Radar tracking; radome-enclosed linear array; Radomes; Sidelobe reduction; Sidelobes; sum-and-difference pattern synthesis; Synthesis; Vectors
• ISSN: 1536-1225; 1548-5757
• DOI: 10.1109/LAWP.2024.3509618

With the advancement of monopulse radar technology, synthesis of the sum-and-difference patterns (SDPs) for the radome-enclosed arrays has emerged as a pressing area of research. Due to the influence of asymmetric radome, active element patterns of the radome-enclosed linear array (RELA) are completely different. To accurately consider the array-element mutual couplings and array-and-radome interactions, a novel simultaneous synthesis technique for low-sidelobe-level (SLL) SDPs of the RELA with common weights is proposed. First, a nonconvex SDP synthesis problem with the nonconvex constraint and the nonconvex objective function is established. Then, by fixing the reference phases for the sum pattern (SP) radiation far-field and the difference pattern (DP) slope at the target direction, the original nonconvex synthesis problem is transformed into a convex minimum problem, which can be efficiently solved by the convex optimization methods. Finally, a 40-element RELA is implemented, demonstrating that the proposed synthesis technique can be used to simultaneously synthesize SDPs of the RELA with asymmetric active element patterns. The SPs with −25 dB SLL and the DPs with −20 dB SLL are simultaneously synthesized, and the obtained results verify effectiveness of the proposed synthesis technique.