Investigation of the Radiation and Energy Storage Modes of Small Arrays
Date:
S. S.Y. Cain (Presenting Author), J. T. Bernhard
Abstract
The procedure of decomposing a surface current distribution into a set of constituent eigenmodes allows engineers to develop deeper insight about the relationship between device geometry and performance. This approach has been popularized in the field of antenna engineering by the theory of characteristic modes. Here, we decompose the surface currents of small arrays into three sets of eigenmodes that distinguish between their radiation, electric energy storage, and magnetic energy storage properties. These modal results are analyzed in tandem with conventional metrics (e.g., mutual impedance) to examine the impact of mutual coupling.