Superdirectivity and electrically small antennas

To further enhance practical viability, Super Realized Gain is introduced. Moreover, a novel approach in which the required reactive loading is embedded directly into the antenna geometry through careful dimensional tuning, thereby eliminating the need for discrete loading components. Following this, the introduction of a phase-only optimization strategy, which utilizes constant amplitude excitations, dramatically simplifies the feed architecture.

These techniques, when applied to electrically small antenna (ESA) arrays, including designs based on meandered dipoles and parasitic reflector configurations, are validated. Full-wave simulations and experimental measurements confirm that these structures achieve realized gains exceeding conventional theoretical bounds. Overall, the thesis provides a comprehensive framework for the realization of practical SDAs, bridging the gap between theoretical potential and real-world implementation.

The proposed designs are well-suited for emerging wireless communication and sensing platforms, particularly in scenarios that demand compact, highly directional antennas with minimal system complexity.