Radiation characteristics of a spherical array of circularly polarized elements

The radiation properties of a spherical phased-array antenna with circularly polarized elements are studied. Each antenna element is assumed to have a cosine type of field pattern. It is found that such an array is capable of providing complete hemispherical coverage without appreciable loss of gain. The radiation produced by the array stays circularly polarized in all directions, and the state of polarization is independent of beam steering. A special distribution of elements on a spherical surface is developed. This considerably suppresses the grating lobes in the pattern and thereby makes the antenna array broadband. Numerical calculations are made to determine the directivity and half-power beamwidth for the radiation patterns produced under various situations.