A Numerical Method for Near-Field Array Synthesis

A numerical method for near-field array synthesis is developed for arbitrary array geometries. The intended application is for generating a planar field in a test volume for electromagnetic susceptibility testing, but the method is valid for arbitrary field distributions. A uniqueness theorem is utilized to allow the field conditions to be enforced on the surface of the test volume rather than throughout the volume. The synthesis method is a least-squares solution with a constraint on the source norm; the constraint keeps the field small outside the test volume. Numerical results are shown for the case of synthesizing a plane wave in the near field of an array of line sources.