Side lobe suppression analysis of spiral array optical antenna

Abstract

Optical array antennas have diverse applications in optical communication, remote sensing, imaging, and astronomy, supporting a broad range of optical and photonics-based technologies. Traditional square phased array antennas require a half-wavelength emitter spacing to prevent secondary orders of emission (aliasing). However, achieving such small distances in optics is impractical. To break this limitation irregularly-placed arrays has been proposed. This study focuses on the alias-free spiral array, which allows for high level of sidelobe suppression. Using standard Huygens–Fresnel principle approach to calculate the emission pattern, we identify key parameters of the spiral and consider their influence on the result. We perform multi-parametric optimisation of the spiral array for maximum suppression of sidelobes, enhancing its performance by dB compared to previously suggested bio-inspired design. This research provides insights into overcoming aliasing challenges and improving the efficiency of optical array antennas.