Abstract.
In this survey the state-of-the-art and trends of multibeam antenna
(MBA) for radar and communication systems are considered. Architectures,
principal features and applications of various MBAs are introduced and
accompanied by practical examples. MBAs as assemblies of single-beam antennas are
widely used in base stations of cellular communication. Though the antenna
assemblies are bulky, their beams can be individually directed and optimized. Reflector
MBAs have high directivity and are simple. Key points of reflector MBAs are
limited field of view and low overlapping level of neighbor beams.
State-of-the-art dual-reflector single-feed-per-beam (SFB) MBAs with
one-dimensional sights of view have over one hundred beams in one plane. MBAs
with two-dimensional sights of view have up to several dozen beams in
cross-section. Good overlapping of beams is achieved by grouping several SFB
reflector (or lens) MBAs with alternated beams. The other way of providing good
overlapping is generating beams from single aperture by multiple-feed-per-beam
(MFB). Antenna arrays with Rotman lens beamformers can have hundreds of fixed
or frequency scanned beams. These MBAs have low losses, are simple, and
compact. In active arrays, losses in beamformers do not decrease significantly
antenna electrical performances. For this reason, compact printed microstrip
beamformers or even integrated circuit (IC) beamformers having reach
beamforming capabilities can be used in active arrays despite valuable losses. Active electronically scanned arrays (AESA) are capable to form several
independent scanning beams. AESAs with digital beamforming are capable to form
hundreds or thousands independent beams due to advanced digital ICs.
Keywords:
multibeam antenna (MBA), multibeam
reflector antenna, multibeam lens antenna, multibeam phased array antenna, multibeam
array-fed reflector antenna.
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