Tutorial on Phased-Array Antennas: New Insights into Grating Lobe Phenomena

Strategic Insights -

Researchers from Shanghai University have conducted a comprehensive study on phased-array antennas (PAAs), shedding light on the grating lobe (GL) phenomena associated with these antennas. The study explores the occurrence conditions and locations of GLs, providing a new rule to regulate critical element spacings for a general grating-lobe-free planar PAA. The research highlights the use of random-element-position techniques to suppress GLs and presents a systematic analysis of specific PAAs.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study focuses on the grating lobe (GL) phenomena associated with phased-array antennas (PAAs), with a primary emphasis on their applications in 5G-Advanced/6G and high-capacity satellite communications.
  • The research proposes a new rule to analytically regulate critical element spacings for a general grating-lobe-free planar PAA that scans to an arbitrary direction (θ0, φ0) in the visible space.
  • The proposed rule depends on both θ0 and φ0 and is found to be more relaxed than the classical rule inferred from linear PAA.
  • A systematic analysis of specific PAAs is presented, highlighting their radiation patterns and graphics.
  • The study also discusses a random-element-position technique and illustratively shows its ability to suppress the GLs.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and concludes with a comprehensive tutorial on PAAs.

Statistics:

  • The study focuses on PAAs' applications in 5G-Advanced/6G and high-capacity satellite communications.
  • The research proposes a new rule to regulate critical element spacings for a general grating-lobe-free planar PAA.
  • The proposed rule depends on both θ0 and φ0.
  • A systematic analysis of 5 specific PAAs is presented, with their radiation patterns and graphics shown.

Sources:

  • "On the Grating Lobe of Phased Array Antennas: a Tutorial" (Journal of Applied Physics, 2025; 138(12)).
  • Shanghai University, School of Communications and Information Engineering, Shanghai 200444, People's Republic of China.
  • Aip Publishing, 1305 Walt Whitman Rd, Ste 300, Melville, NY 11747-4501, USA.