Aperiodic and Non-Planar Array of Electromagnetic Scatterers, and Reflectarray Antenna Comprising the Same

Method for manufacturing a one- or two-dimensional aperiodic array of electromagnetic scatterers, or an aperiodic reflectarray antenna, that comprises:

• a design phase, comprising identifying a set of physical and/or geometrical parameters of said array as a function of design specifications;
• and
• a phase of physically making the array based on said parameters;
• characterized in that said design phase uses a multi-stage synthesis algorithm to identify a set of said physical and/or geometrical parameters of the array which optimizes an appropriate cost function, wherein every stage except the first takes as initial values of said parameters those provided by the previous stage, wherein said synthesis algorithm comprises:
• a first stage (I), based on a continuous electromagnetic modelling of the array, implementing the synthesis, in modulus and in phase, of an electromagnetic field on a pre-set reflecting line or surface, said surface being presumed to be continuous;
• one or more intermediate stages (II, III, IV), based on a discrete phase-only electromagnetic modelling of the array, wherein each electromagnetic scatterer is only characterized by a phase factor;
• and
• a final refinement stage (V) based on a more accurate electromagnetic modelling of the array.