Phased Array Antenna Patterns—Part 3: Sidelobes And Tapering

This is the third article of a three-part series on phased array antenna patterns. Part 3 discusses antenna sidelobes and the effect of tapering across an array. Tapering is simply the manipulation of the amplitude contribution of an individual element to the overall antenna response. It provides a method to reduce antenna sidelobes at some expense to the antenna gain and main lobe beamwidth. The article will also elaborate on a few points relative to antenna gain.