Sidelobe Reduction of Low-Profile Array Antenna Using a Genetic Algorithm

A low-profile phased array antenna with a low sidelobe was designed and fabricated using a genetic algorithm (GA). The subarray distances were optimized by GA with chromosomes of 78 bits, a population of 100, a crossover probability of 0.9, and a mutation probability of 0.005. The array antenna has 24 subarrays in 14 rows, and is designed as a mobile terminal for Ku-band satellite communication. The sidelobe level was suppressed by 6.5 dB after optimization, compared to the equal spacing between subarrays. The sidelobe level was verified from the far-field pattern measurement by using the fabricated array antenna with optimized distance.