Design of non-uniform antenna arrays for improved near-field multifocusing

Abstract

An extended method for Near-Field Multifocusing on antenna arrays, including the optimization of the locations for the elements of the array, is proposed. Multifocusing is gaining attention in recent years due to the growth of applications such as Internet of Things, or 5G, where a wireless link between a number of sensors and devices must be established, and energy or interference must be managed efficiently. Multifocusing requirements may be addressed by optimizing the feeding weights that must be applied to the elements of an array, but the proposed methodology also optimizes their locations, increasing the degrees of freedom by allowing a non-uniform structure for the array, leading to more efficient structures or better compliance with the specifications. Some experiments are presented to validate the method, showing that it is able to determine the weights and mesh of the array to fulfill the requirements, both obtaining an arbitrary distribution of elements or following a predefined geometric model.