Effect of mutual coupling on the performance of adaptive arrays

The effect of mutual coupling between array elements on the performance of adaptive arrays is examined. The study includes both steady state and transient performance. An expression for the steady state output signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of adaptive arrays, taking into account the mutual coupling between the array elements, is derived. The expression is used to assess the steady state performance of adaptive arrays. The transient response is studied by computing the eigenvalues associated with the signal covariance matrix. The steering vector required to maximize the output SINR of Applebaum-type adaptive arrays in the presence of mutual coupling is also given.