Reflector effects on the performance of a retrodirective antenna array

This paper presents modeling strategies to determine the operating characte ristics of a heterodyne phase-conjugate retrodirective Van Atta array in th e presence of a plane reflector. The models used are based on physical and geometrical optics principles. Predictions of the operating characteristics of the array due to the close proximity of a plane metallic reflector are compared with experimental measurements. It is shown that provided the refl ector is positioned at a distance greater than 1.25 times the separation di stance between the transmitter and the retrodirective array its effect on t he performance of the retrodirective array appears to be negligible.