Fractal Antenna Engineering: The Theory and Design of Fractal Antenna Arrays Douglas H. Werner’, Randy L. Haupt, ‘and Pingjuan L. Werner’ "Communications and Space Sciences Laboratory The Pennsylvania State Univesity Department of Blecrical Engineering 211A Electrical Engineering Eat University Park, PA 16802 E-mail: dhw@psu.edu Department of Electrical Enginaéxing Utah State University Logan, UT 84322-4120 Tel: (435) 797-2840 ans (435) 797-2054 E-mail randy haupt@ece-usu.edu or haupi@ieee org The Pennsylvania State University College of Engineering ‘DuBois, PA 15801 E-xil: piv7@paueds Keywords: Fractals antenna arays; antenna theory; antenna radiation pattems frequeney-independent antennas log-periodic sntennas owsidelebe antennas; aay thinning, tay signal processing 1 Abstract A fractal isa recursively generated object having a fractional dimension. Many objects, including antennas, can be designed using the recursive nature of fatal. In this ace, we provide a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the field of fractal antenna enginoerng, with particular emphasis placed on the theory and design of fractal amays. We introduce some important properties of fractal anays, including the frequeney-independent ‘mult-band characteristics, schemes. for realizing lowsidelobe designs, systematic approaches to thinning, and the ability to 1). In many cases, the generating subarray has elements that are tumed on and off in & ‘cerain pattem. A set formula for copying, scaling, and translation ‘ofthe generating subarray is then followed in order to produce the fractal aay. Hence, fractal arrays that are created inthis manner ‘will be composed ofa Soquence of sesimilarsubarrays, In other ‘words, they may be conveniently thought of as arays of aay (6 ‘The aray factor for a frctal aray of this type may be ‘expressed inthe general form [23-25] : AFp(e)=T]64( 0°" @ where GA(y) represents the aay factor associated wth the gen crating suhaay. The parameter 5 js sae or expansion factor {hat govems how large the say grows with each recursive appli- cation of the generating subaray. The expression forthe facta fury factor given in Euuatin (1) i simply the product of sealed ‘anions ofa generating subaray factor. Therefore, wo may reat Equation (1) as representing formal semen ofthe pater ‘alpiction theore for fatal arrays. Applications of hie pe Gialid pattern-mliptication theorem tothe analysis an dssign Of ica aswell s planar cll ays willbe considered in he following sections. ed} Figure 1. The geometry fora linear array of uniformly spaced Isotropic sources. 3.1 Cantor linear arrays A linear aray of isotropic elements, uniformly spaced a dis- tance apart along the # axis, s shown in Figure 1. The arayfic- tor coresponding to this linear array may be expressed inthe form (27,28) {in+23%rpcosfuy}. foe N41 elements arty ® [PS iaeeelle-ti2)e]} fer Nemes vere y=Hened conte} ° sot peeia o ‘These amays become ffacal-ike when approprinte clements are tumed off o removed, suc that o A, ifelement mis tumed on 0, element mi trned off Hence, fractal arays produced by following this procedure belong toa special category of thinned uray (One of the simplest schemes for constructing 2 fractal linear ray follows the eve forthe Cantor set (29). Cantor linear arrays were frst proposed and studied in (21] for thee potential use in the design of low-sidelobe arrays. Some other aspects of Cantor arays have been investigated more recently in (23-25] ‘The basic triadic Cantor array may be eeated by tating with 1 tires-element generating subaray, and then applying it repeat- edly over P scales of growth. The generating subarray inthis ase has three uniformly spaced elements, with the center clement tured off or removed, i. 101. The triadic Cantor array i gener- ated recursively by replacing 1 by 101 and 0 by 000 at each stage (of the construction. For example, atthe second stage of coastruc- tion (= 2) the array pattern would look Hike IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, Vol 41, No.5, October 1998101000101, and atthe third stage (P=3), we would have oy 101000101 000000000101 000101 od The aray factor ofthe theee-lement generating subaray with the 84F~ representation 101 8 . {| GAly)=200s(v). o 4 LI which may be derive fom Equation (2) by setting N'=1. Jy =0, —azfme~ and 4, =1.Substtuing Equation (6 into Egpation (1) and choos: ing an expansion factor ofthe (ie, 8 3) rls a expres sion forthe Cantor aay factor given by ) Figure 2s. plot of the tiadie Cantor third stage of growth, P=3. Jeos(3¥)e0s(9y). Figure 2a, A plot ofthe tr the first stage of growth, ? ie Cantor fractal array factor for 1. The array factor is co5(¥). [i : ] \ a igure 2, A plot ofthe triadic Cantor fractal array factor for the second stage of growth, P=2. The array factor i cos(yeos(3)- IEEE Antonnas and Propagation Magazine, Vol. 41, No, 8, Otober 1988 Figure 24. 4 plot of the triadie Cantor fractal array factor for fhe fourth stage of growth, Px. The array factor is as(y oot }eos oy )eos(27)- ‘where the hat notation indicates thatthe quantities have been nor ‘alized, Figure 2 contains plots of Equation (7) forthe it four sages inthe growth ofa Cantor aay. ‘Suppose thatthe spacing between array elements is a quater- wavelength (ie, d= 4/4), and that 0) =90°. Thea, an expression forthe directivity of a Cantor ary of isotropic point sources may be derived from ® where y =u, with a= cord and